Assumption
by wildkurofang
Summary: After the Winter War Ichigo is powerless. A shadowy group is closing in and with Zangetsu gone a new power must be born for Ichigo to save the stoic Zanpakutou in order to protect everyone. Now if only his Inner Hollow would stop walking around materialized. And the Gotei 13 stalking him. Same goes for the Espada. Zanpakutou!HollowIchigo! Alive!Espada...Mostly.
1. Flood The Soul

**Assumption**

**as·sump·tion**

**/əˈsʌmpʃən/ **

**[uh-suhmp-shuh]**

**1. **

**Something taken for granted; a supposition: a correct assumption.**

**2. **

**The act of taking for granted or supposing. **

**3. **

**The act of taking to or upon oneself.**

**4. **

**The act of taking possession of something: the assumption of power.**

**5. **

**Arrogance; presumption. **

**So this is my second time voyaging into Bleach territory and I hope this will sate me for the time being. It will be long. Beware. Also I don't know about pairings. I'm up to any, Hetro, Yaoi or Yuri. You decide.**

**Summary: After the Winter War Ichigo is still in the thick of danger with no power to speak of. Forces beyond his control are closing in and with Zangetsu gone a new power must be born for Ichigo to save the people he loves and bring the stoic Zanpakutou back from the edge of his soul. Now if only his Inner Hollow would settle down and stop walking around materlized he could actually concentrate. Having the Gotei 13 stalking him doesn't help the matter either. Nor the reappearance of the Espada. Zanpakutou!HollowIchigo! Post-Winter War. Alive!Espada...Mostly.**

**Warning!: Here there will be cussing. Of the most gratuitous kind. If you do not like or cannot stand that then I'm afraid this Fanfic is not for you. Sorry, but the cannon portions of Bleach most certainly contain cussing and I will hold as true to the correct characterization of the characters themselves as is possible. Thank you for your time but please turn around if this is the case for you.**

* * *

**Chapter One-Flood the Soul**

Fettered Reaper  
Prideful Moon  
Howl  
And Sink Your Fangs Into Redemption

* * *

It was dark and cold. It was also raining too. The constant drip-drop of water was driving me off the wall. Nothing but shadows, blood, broken glass and rubble was in this twisted, flooded room.

The water was steadily rising and being chained in place by white metal links didn't exactly spell out a best case scenario by any means.

Who am I kidding? I was going to die.

I snorted in derision. I wasn't even going to go out gloriously in battle. More like a dog if anything else.

And that pissed me off to no end. Made me gnash my teeth in fury and struggle against my bindings.

Even if I knew that it wouldn't get me anywhere.

I had been cut off. Severed from the other half of my soul. I had no power. And could do nothing to stop the rusting of the chains that bound me. Or the ruin of the world around me.

"It's cold."

I closed my eyes, breathing heavily from my attempt to escape. Leaning my head back, I bared my teeth in an insane grin.

Oh, if only.

I could keep it on for a few seconds at best before I felt tired again.

"So much for-"cough"-being Mr. Bad Guy."

I slumped forward, soaked to the bone with long white hair hanging limp and damp with the red liquid soddening it. The bloody water lapping at my hips drained me of any strength I had managed to hang onto when I was ripped from the world above.

And from the only other person in all the worlds that understood me.

I had forgotten how long it had been since I last saw the sky. How long _had_ I been down here? It felt like an eternity.

It was so cold.

I had always been cold. Nearly a freakin' ice statue. It was always freezing to me.

Except when the sun shone down upon those brilliant, blue-glass buildings. When the clouds were nowhere to be found. When no rain fell.

When he stood across from me in his confident, quiet way, in his insufferable know-it-all way that seemed to be ingrained into his pale skin.

When the ever-present wind rippled his black cloak that was tinged red with the blood of our enemies.

When his ice-blue eyes trained themselves on me and only me.

It was then I felt the fire. The heat. The raging inferno that slept deep in the depths of our souls.

When the ice, and despair and water were all just- No. When the entire world was burned away. Leaving only us in the calm of the storm.

Never before did I ever feel so alive and needed and had I ever had such a definite purpose.

But the cold was back. It ate at my skin, turned my limbs numb, made my teeth chatter and rattled my bones like a blizzard would the very world.

And the chains! Oh, the chains. They bit and chewed at my very essence! Slowly strangling me in the slow dance of death as the water rose, centimeter by centimeter across my jailed form.

I growled. When had I ever allowed myself to be chained? When had I ever been this helpless? When had I ceased to walk forward? When had this world stagnated? Begun to deteriorate? To die? Decay?

If I could break something it would only be me.

"'M an even bigger idiot then you... and somehow? It makes me wanna smile."

I was such a fool. How could we have not seen it! How could I have not have known?! We knew! I knew... We had always known. Always.

So why? I bit my lip until I began to bleed. Why?! Were we that blinded by pride?!

Was I so convinced of my strength, so blinded by our power that I allowed such a thing to happen?!

Yes. The answer was yes.

We had failed. I had not done enough. And he had paid the price.

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Disgraced in the dust and mud and diseased, fifthly blood of ours."

The chains clinked mournfully.

What a joke.

What a joke this all had been.

I giggled. We had done so much; I had been _sooooo~_ proud. We had thought I was invincible. Hell! We had known it! I had known it!

Oh, did we know it!

And still! Still...when push came to shove I could do nothing but weep on the sidelines as our world was torn from me. Rent asunder by that-that _man! _That whoreson!

He forced him into a corner! Caused him to despair! Caused us to hesitate!

How could I? How? Why?! Why didn't we stop him! Why couldn't I fight him?!

Lock him away and throw away the key?! Had we not sworn to protect him?! To keep him from harm? To save him? To cherish? Love...?

If so, we obviously didn't love him enough if I had failed as we did...

An unstable bubble of mirth threatened to consume me. We choked, clamping down on it before it really did drive me insane. We whimpered like a kicked dog that had its chest carved out. Its guts and innards splayed across the squalidness of the dusty ground for all the world to see. For all the world to mock.

Drops of salty blood added themselves to the sea that consumed me. We had bit through the skin of my lip already. Tears? Ha! We didn't deserve such a thing...

My chest hurt.

We hated delusions. I hated illusions. We had always wanted to strip away the lies. The pain. The hurt. The suffering.

The truth was the greatest balm in the world to ease aching wounds. Heal festering scars. My pain and his.

It used to be us. Not any longer. I was alone. And cold. So very cold.

The blood turned from a stream to a river.

I hated the clink of chains.

But most of all?

I hated how it was my trembling, mine alone that made them ring in desolation.

It was too much.

So I slept.

Because my chest hurt and they were no longer there to hear my screams of despair.  
—

I awoke in a panic. I choked on salty, dirty blood that tasted like the blackest rust.

I balked, swearing while trying to keep the bone-chilling, bone-breaking water from smothering me with its heavy hands.

Why?! What had happened?! The water had only been at my waist! How did it suddenly become able to drown me!

I struggled. And found to my horror that it was not only chains that trapped me.

Black cloth was cemented over the dirty white chains. They had twined between the links, stifling the unbearable echo of their constant chime. And while that was a blessing in itself, they had also taken the liberty to weave themselves around me.

I couldn't move an inch, entangled in their grasp. When I tried to rip them apart I only managed to be cut in the process.

It was as if they were made from thin, flexible sheets of metal as sharp as a swords edge.

I grimaced, tongue flicking out in distaste to swipe at the barely healed cut on my lip.

The water was rising steadily. Soon it would be over my mouth and I couldn't move to stand up.

In other words, I was screwed.

I sighed, glaring at the wall not but a few meters from me. "If I ever get out of this alive 'm gonna kill the fucker who did this."

It past my chin and touched the bottom of my lip. I hissed in pain when the salt entered the open wound.

"Strike that, 'm gonna fuckin' mutilate 'em.''

Oh, if only _he_ could hear me. He would tell me watch my mouth.

I grinned, amused. He never had liked my foul tongue.

My grin turned into a sneer and finally to a frown.

He wasn't there to do so anymore.

And that hurt.

I wished that my chest would stop hurting.

Oh, how did I wish for the deceptions of the mask. At least then I could continue to deceive myself without disgust.

The water inched higher. And it wasn't just cold. It was frigid. Like a glacier had hit me in the chest.

I was damn sure that I could see my breath too.

Not that it mattered. I would soon be swallowing water, not air.

I wasn't too sure if I would be able to still breathe by then though.

I would have panicked but the cold had set in and my shackles, metal and ambiguous cloth rendered me immobile.

Before the icy liquid engulfed me I let out one last bark of laughter.

"Mah, at least I'll get to see him one last time. Before we die."

The water covered my face and almost reached the ceiling. I managed to get in one more gulp of air before it swallowed me whole.

_Even in death, I guess you can't escape me. Ne, King~?_

* * *

_First person blurb for first chapter, Original ne?_

_Also, review if you please I would appreciate it but I won't withhold chapters if it doesn't happen. Chapters will very in length and I have some in the works right now so updating should be soon and frequent for a while._

_Tarry a while. Thou art so fair. ~ Wild-Tama_


	2. Of School, Muggings, and Orange Hair

**Here you go. Enjoy.**

**Warning!: I stated in Chapter One that and I quoth: "Also I don't know about pairings. I'm up to any, Hetro, Yaoi or Yuri. You decide." End quoth. The GinjouxIchigo bit in this Chap? Yeah, this is for pure laughs. It's a crack pairing at the most and a bad dream for Ichigo at the least. Not to say there couldn't be that pairing in fact I'm quite open to all pairings cannon or not. (Pfff~ What cannon pairings? The Manga-Ka saved himself a hell of a lot of headache when he decided to troll us all with the many one-sided kinda vague pairings—besides GinxRangiku, GoatfacexMisaki, anyone who is actually married like a certain Ishida that will not be named...) Anyway you get my drift right? Either I'll post the pairing in mega font or add a warning that I'm only trolling you guys. Seems fair yeah? And **yoruichifan **I'm sorry but your pairing is a no go. Yoruichi I could handle with some major plot overhaul...Unohana? I can't, I really can't not with *SPOILER*HerturningouttobetheKenpachiKenpachiZarak icouldn'tbeatandherthoughtfullyaddingonthathewaste onlyonewhomadeherfeeljoywhenshetookhisswordtothech est*ENDSPOILER* So yeah, that would just end up _awkward _later on and such so I can't. And I hope more people would start paying attention to the manga because you are missing major plot/characterization points!**

* * *

**Chapter Two-Of School, Muggings, and Orange Hair**

Trust

And Deceit

The Moon's Shadow No Longer

Illuminate's The Dark

* * *

This day had been a long one. Disgustingly long. In an absolute brain-numbing, drool-inducing way.

School had been a drag; the useless and endless tide of lectures and notes hadn't been interrupted once.

Not by my Substitute Shinigami badge wailing, "Hollow, Hollow!" Not by any strange "transfer" students showing up to wreak havoc at the drop of a dime. Not even by a stray spirit waiting to be Konsou'ed.

Of course, I was no longer a Shinigami so I couldn't expect for such things to happen anymore. The bad guy had been beaten, the hero's returned home alive and whole. The universe saved from imminent destruction, the whole nine yards.

Life had returned to normal.

I was human again. Just another face in the crowd waiting to die of old age or some thought-less accident.

Just another high school student. Just another second-year trying his best to get good grades to be able to graduate to the next level, repeat the entire mundane process, and go to a good college after graduation.

Just another human roaming about their short life trying to eke out a living.

It had been seven months. The date was June 16. I was still 16-years old. And human.

I would have once rejoiced over that simple fact; but it was just that. A fact. Nothing more, nothing less.

A month or two after everything calmed down I ended up realizing just how much my life had taken a turn towards chaos when I had met Rukia.

Ever since then, I couldn't help but feel as if there was something missing from it.

I mused upon these thoughts while I made my way home and enjoyed the quiet road while it lasted.

Just because I no longer ran around saving the souls of the living dead didn't mean that I still didn't have to deal with wannabe-punks and gangs.

After all, my last name was still Kurosaki and I still had orange hair. I guess it didn't matter if I was in the Living World, Soul Society, or Hueco Mundo, people everywhere really found my hair odd—as if it was anymore.

Though by some strange twist of fate, I found my walk uninterrupted by anything and anyone. I didn't run into any would-be delinquents. I wasn't harassed in the slightest for my hair color. There were no spiritual nuisances to take care of either.

I just...walked home.

It was definitely one of my better experiences considering my reputation as a grade-A, trouble-magnet.

There was a small incident though...

I was almost home too. About a block or two away in fact, when I spotted an older-looking man rounding the corner. Nothing particularly wrong about that. He was whistling a corny tune, a brown bag slung over his right shoulder held by his right hand with his other one in his pocket.

Due to a cold front, it wasn't surprising to see the man wearing a black, leather jacket with a white fur collar in the middle of June.

A normal white tee was worn underneath with some sort of necklace around his neck—though I couldn't see it clearly due to the distance between us. He had on black pants to match and black shoes; which, due to his height and slicked-back hair—not to mention his build, the guy was as big as Chad if not bigger—made it seem as if the guy was some Yakuza try-hard. He didn't look like a high school student at all.

_More like a slick salesman type, if that's possible._ He looked old enough to be a college student. He certainly was twenty-one or older.

This made it really strange to see him with these large red and white headphones over his ears. He even had his eyes closed while he moved down the street_. Who owns large-ass headphones anymore?... Well, scratch that, Chad does..._

How he was able to walk straight without bumping into anything or anyone was beyond me, but it hardly mattered.

He walked past without any problems, still in his own little world and I was pretty content with that.

We were the only two people on the street and he kept going, so I did the same.

For some reason though, my instincts went haywire when he passed me by, but I ignored them. After all, even if he looked big, I had fought bigger. And I doubted that he was about to whip around and pull out a switch-blade or anything; so I kept walking.

And that would have been that, but just when I had pushed his presence out of sight and out of mind, I heard a crash and two distinct shouts.

I twisted around quickly, battle instincts flaring, only to see the guy sprawled out on the ground.

His headphones were askew and a surprised, angry look was upon his face. His voice—a deep tenor—rang out, "Hey! Come back here!"

Another man had hit him head on, grabbed his bag and took off down the street.

Right in my direction.

I didn't even think about it. The guy wasn't looking my way seeing how he was glancing backwards to see if the man he had just mugged would run after him.

It only took a raised arm to stop him.

"Gahhh!"

Apparently, clothes-lining someone who's running at full speed is enough to knock said someone out. This just happened to be the case here.

Not that it really surprised me. I was an ex-Substitute Shinigami. One that had defeated a mad, traitorous, egomaniac bent on becoming a transcendental, all-powerful god.

_Maybe I should have just tripped him instead..._ I really didn't want to have to drag him to the clinic to get his head checked out for a concussion.

Fortunately, he groaned and rolled on his side, twitching.

Seeing how he was able to still make sounds from his voice box and he wasn't completely out cold, I deemed him fit enough to drag himself off to a hospital.

I grabbed the bag lying next to him in time to see the man he had taken it from run up to me.

Headphones now around his neck, he leaned on his knees taking in a few breathes before straightening out, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Haaha- Thanks a bunch kid! I thought he was seriously going to get away! Luckily, you were here though!"

His enthusiastic manner reminded me a bit of Inoue's happy attitude. It was kinda creepy coming from a guy who was around Chad's size. And probably twice my age. _Then again, Chad has always been that freakishly large so it's not that abnormal. ...Nah, he's a freakin' anomaly._

I nodded, a little more than distracted by the huge, silver, cross-shaped pendent he wore around his neck that I could see perfectly this time around since he was closer. I blinked. I mean, who wore large, gaudy jewelry anymore?

The black-haired man held out his hand, "Well, I suppose I should introduce myself! The names- Hey wait! Where ya going?!"

I had tossed him his bag and turned away, continuing my trek home after I finished scrutinizing his choice in accessories. Which I had deemed overly obnoxious.

But then again I used to cart around a bronze, metal badge with a skull motif that shouted, "Hollow, Hollow!" Every couple of minutes so I couldn't really complain.

Of course, the guy didn't take the hint and instead rushed in front of me, blocking my path.

A shiver went up my spine.

I scowled, finally looking him in the eyes. They were dark brown and surprisingly enough, like Chad's. _Why do I keep comparing him to Chad?_

The older male held up his arms in surrender, moving them away from where he had accidently touched the front of my grey school uniform.

I startled, feeling warning bells ring and the hair on the nape of my neck stand up.

"Hey now, there's no need to be shy! I just wanted to thank ya!"

My eye twitched at the word "shy" but instead of yelling like I once would have done, I raised an eyebrow and spoke calmly while snorting in disdain which the likes of even Ishida would have been proud of, "I'm hardly shy."

I wanted to get away from this guy as soon as possible. Something was…_off_ about him.

Oblivious to my thoughts he, in return, only laughed. A large grin settled on his face. "Ah, so the valiant hero speaks!"

A blush came unbidden to my cheeks, staining them red in embarrassment. Temporarily forgetting my wariness, I glared, gritting out, "Shut up! I just stopped the guy, no big deal! Anyone would have done it!"

Finally sensing my hostility, he backed off a step, his grin fading a bit before it returned full force, bigger than before. He ran his unoccupied left hand through his hair, a few strands falling in front of his face while he whistled, "Oho! You really are shy! And modest too!"

He cut me off before I could splutter properly in indignation. I hadn't even known this guy existed until a few minutes ago and he was acting all buddy-buddy all a sudden! _Really, who does that!_

"Look. It's cool. I get it. You're the strong, silent type with not a lot of confidence. One who tends to be a loner, right? Not that that crazy neon hair of yours doesn't attract a lot of attention. Well, let me at least help you out in that department, I know this amazing ramen place a little ways from here; so let me buy ya a bowl or two in than-"

By the time he started rambling, my eye wouldn't stop twitching. I grit my teeth together harsher then before and finally when I could take it no longer, bust out, "Look, I don't even know you! And you don't know me alright! So cut the crap! What do you want?! I just need to get home and I can't do that with you hovering over me! Just keep your trap shut and don't tell anyone about this and we'll be square! And it's _natural!_"

His mouth dropped open in surprise, leaving him gaping like a goldfish.

I normally wouldn't have shouted. Ok, I wouldn't have shouted _as much_, but I was starting to feel a bit cornered by the larger male for some reason.

He blinked in bewilderment and then glanced at my hair, stepping right into my personal space—even more so than he had already been before.

Then to my consternation, he took it upon himself to place his hand in my unruly hair and ruffle it experimentally to see if it was a wig—because others had done it before.

What he said next I didn't expect either.

"Natural for what? An orangutan?"

I blew my top. With a vein pulsing on my head, I flung my hands up into the air letting my book bag drop to the crook of my elbow while I gnashed my teeth in frustration.

I slapped his hand away and took several quick steps back. Vein fixing to burst and hands twitching, I was just itching to slam his stupid, gelled-hair covered head into the nearest brick wall—several times over—and leave him to bleed out into a giant puddle of his own blood while he died a horrible, gruesome death.

My Inner Hollow, if he was even still inside my head somewhere—Kami-sama, I hoped not—would have been cackling in glee at my very thorough mental smack down/massacre of the guy before me.

I couldn't stop my voice from screeching, "What the hell! I'm not a freakin' monkey! And don't just touch other people so casually! It's creepy!"

He, for a change, had enough decency—or audacity—to pull up his hands in surrender, giving me the placating motion to calm down. "Sorry, sorry, it just surprised me that's all. It's not every day I run into a natural orangette, ya' know."

Fuming still, I marched up to him and poked him in the chest. "Look, just leave me alone. I don't need any sort of reward; so just keep your ramen. Besides I'm only 16. Haven't you ever heard of, "Don't talk to or accept candy from strangers?" Because I sure have." I crossed my arms waiting for him to reply.

He winced and seemed to think about that, this time around nodding his head good-naturally with one of his hands scratching his cheek sheepishly. "Youch, a stinging rejection... but I can respect that. You're right; if I had kids, I obviously wouldn't want them runnin' around with strange men they just met…"

I rolled my eyes, and crossing my arms, snorted. "Hopefully; any sane parent would be worried about that." _Who am I kidding? The Oyaji is more likely to run sobbing to the poster of Kaa-san about one of us eloping, than ask if we were almost kidnapped by a rapist._

"So~ I suppose I'll just have to say thanks and leave it at that..." He trailed off looking at me expectantly.

I groaned and against my better judgment grumbled out, "Kurosaki Ichigo."

He seemed to start and then he smirked, teeth and all like the Cheshire Cat, "Ichigo, huh? That's a pretty adorable name for-Oomph!"

I didn't waste a second in punching him in the gut.

He doubled over but impressively stayed on his feet.

"Don't even go there. Or else I _will_ put you in the hospital."

He let out a shaky wheeze and gave me the o-k symbol while holding his stomach before straightening up, albeit less stable than before while rubbing his stomach. "You got a mean-gah, right hook, I'll give you that. Sore-ugh, subject, huh?"

I gave him the "What-the-hell-do-you-think?" look and growled, "Just as much as I hate people pointing out my hair color."

He flinched at the pointed look I gave him probably realizing he had managed to not once but twice get on my nerves by his teasing. "I would say sorry, but I'm not."

He managed to dodge my second punch and catching it, laughed boldly in my steaming, red face.

"Asshole! What's your problem?! You can't just say something like that! Let go so I can sock you, ya jerk!" I struggled to break the hold he had on my wrist while cursing him out. The tingles that were shooting up my arm made me feel as if I had just shocked myself with static which is why I didn't drop my bag completely and attempt the same thing again with my other hand.

The leather jacket-wearing man just shook his head and stepped out of the reach of my kick and moved to the right side of me, chuckling the whole way. "A bit over the top don't you think? Someone's got a temper~"

He let go of my hand unexpectedly and I uncharacteristically stumbled forward. I turned back to glare at him while shaking out my wrist. _This guy...he's strong._ "Over the top?! You are the one who gets his bag stolen then has the balls to mess with the guy who got it back for you! Ungrateful-"

"Whoa! Who said anything about being ungrateful?! I'm not just grateful, I'm much more then that!" He stood up straight, the teasing atmosphere gone from his posture when it shifted to serious in zero seconds flat.

I raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him, raising my own book bag against my back where I let it hang over my left shoulder. "Really? What do you have in there? Gold bars from a bank?" I huffed out sarcastically.

He cracked an unassuming smile and nodded. "Yeah, something like that. I just moved here, so its' got everything I need for the next few days as my stuff arrives at my new place. When you stopped that robber you saved me a load of hassle kid." He patted his bag fondly.

I blinked at his sudden sincere attitude shift and rubbed the back of my hair in embarrassment. "I did, huh? Well, I'm glad I stopped him too, in that case. It really would have sucked if you had lost it." I gave him a small smile, the alarms in the back of my head quiet while I looked at the older man at the moment.

A low moan was then heard and we both glanced down to the robber who wasn't enjoying his stay on the ground at all.

I kicked him in the ribs and with one last groan of agony he blacked out, much to my annoyance. _I'm now gonna have to call an ambulance for the fucker, che._

The other male who witnessed the thief's quick mental departure chuckled and smirked. "I really wouldn't want to be in his shoes right now."

I snorted in affirmative. "You and every other thug in the city that decides to mess with me. I put these sort of idiots in their place a long time ago. It's not my fault there still dumb in the head."

He nodded in a half-amused and half-horrified way. "I see, you're like some sort of vigilante protector!"

I gagged and waved my free hand in front of my face with a look of disgust painted across it. "Hell no! Those punks either fight me because they don't like my hair color or think by defeating me they can boost their street cred."

The black-haired man raised an eyebrow in question, "And how that go for them?"

I smirked. "Badly." I then sighed, looking past the older male to notice that the sky was now taking on a light purple appearance while the sun set. It would be dark soon. "But that doesn't stop them from still trying."

I heard him snort and let a grin settle on my face as well.

"I hope that your luck continues for you. After all, it seems to have worked in my favor today... Ah! I forgot to introduce myself, how rude! Though you probably don't want to know the name of every old geezer that walks your way, allow me to offer mine in thanks since you won't take up my gracious offer of a free meal. The names' Ginjou Kuugo. I'm a freelance detective. Just moved in from Kyoto." He held out a hand in greeting again.

This time I took it, ignoring the slight buzzing that rang around my ears at the contact between us. "I've already told you mine, but just call me Ichigo."

We shook once and that was that.

He raised two of his fingers to his temple and saluted me. Walking away suddenly, he spoke, "Alright, Ichigo. Thanks for the help, but it's getting dark and I should be getting back. You're probably supposed to be home by now too, I would guess?"

My eyes widened and I glanced down at my watch to see that it was almost 5:30. _Shit! I'm late! Yuzu and the old man are going to kill me!_ I looked up and grimaced. "Yeah, I was supposed to be back before five. Sorry, but I got to run."

He smiled and stopping about halfway from me, shook his hand in goodbye. "I understand. Maybe we will see each other around; Karakura ain't that big of a town anyway. And that free ramen will still be free the next time we meet, ok?"

I was surprised at his sudden character switch from serious to laid back, but I preferred it from the former. It somehow made the buzzing go away. I smiled again warmly and raising my hand, waved while I began to turn away. "Yeah, sure. Why not?"

He grinned and before I fully moved away, barked out at my retreating figure, "Good, I would have hated to have missed out on a date with such a lively strawberry!"

I spluttered and whipped around, face beat-red. "What the hell did you just say?! I never said anything about a date, dammit! AND I'M NOT A STRAWBERRY!" I shook my fist at him.

Ginjou laughed boisterously—annoyingly like a certain Geta-boushi I knew—and seeing me advance back towards him, jumped, taking off around the street corner.

Extremely pissed, I followed till I lost sight of him after his second turn around a bend in the road.

Stomping my way back to the path that I usually took home, cursing his name the whole way with steam pouring out of my red ears, I noticed the mugger was gone.

_Che, one less nuisance to take care of._ Scoffing, I made my way home, a crimson blush still covering my cheeks.

* * *

Well, here you go as promised.

Yeah, slight ship of GinjouxIchigo. I had to. don't worry, straight pairings and others will be present and nothing is non-negotiable.

Review or not, thank you for your support either way.

Tarry a while. Thou art so fair. ~ Wild-Tama


	3. Of Dinner and Distress, With a

**Aw, so here we are again. Another update! (And sorry for the centering, how the hell did that happen?!) I would just like to inform my readers of a few A/N's I added to the previous chapters to clear up some issues that I forgot to clarify.**

**Chapter One:**

**Warning!: Here there will be cussing. Of the most gratuitous kind. If you do not like or cannot stand that then I'm afraid this Fanfic is not for you. Sorry, but the cannon portions of Bleach most certainly contain cussing and I will hold as true to the correct characterization of the characters themselves as is possible. Thank you for your time but please turn around if this is the case for you.**

**Chapter Two:**

**Warning!: I stated in Chapter One that and I quoth: "Also I don't know about pairings. I'm up to any, Hetro, Yaoi or Yuri. You decide." End quoth. The GinjouxIchigo bit in the last Chap? Yeah, that was for pure laughs. It's a crack pairing at the most and a bad dream for Ichigo at the least. Not to say there couldn't be that pairing in fact I'm quite open to all pairings cannon or not. (Pfff~ What cannon pairings? The Manga-Ka saved himself a hell of a lot of headache when he decided to troll us all with the many one-sided kinda vague pairings—besides GinxRangiku, GoatfacexMisaki, anyone who is actually married like a certain Ishida that will not be named...) Anyway you get my drift right? Either I'll post the pairing in mega font or add a warning that I'm only trolling you guys. Seems fair yeah? And **yoruichifan **I'm sorry but your pairing is a no go. Yoruichi I could handle with some major plot overhaul...Unohana? I can't, I really can't not with *SPOILER*HerturningouttobetheKenpachiKenpachiZarak icouldn'tbeatandherthoughtfullyaddingonthathewaste onlyonewhomadeherfeeljoywhenshetookhisswordtothech est*ENDSPOILER* So yeah, that would just end up _awkward _later on and such so I can't. And I hope more people would start paying attention to the manga because you are missing major plot/characterization points!  
**

**As for** Shinnypichu88**, thank you for adding your comments but I was well aware of this fact. And even before I was aware of this fact—the fact actually being, was that I came up for the premise of this idea and wrote most of it out: 32,000 words of it, in fact; at least a year ago. That was around the time the Manga-Ka came out with the info he was going to end Bleach with the Vandenreich Arc yes?—not to be mean or (a smartass) or anything but I got the plot handled. _Really_ handled, seeing how our ideas were strikingly similar yes? (Of which you will find out how much it indeed was later on.) But, of course, I will take cannon into fact and there is no need to worry this is just a What If scenario of Ichigo recognizing Hollow!Ichigo before his time. (Which, of course means the name I researched will turn out to be a dud I believe but if I update before Tite does then I shall go ahead with the Zanpakutou name and release I designed.)**

**And without further ado here you go.**

* * *

**Chapter Three-Of Dinner and Distress, With a Helping of Despair**

Hide

Behind The Sun

And Eclipse

The Tears of The Reaper

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Just when I arrived on my street I glanced at my silver wrist-watch to see the minute hand strike one._ Great, it's already five past six. Yuzu's gonna skin me alive. And I can't really tell her I was busy running after an old man for asking me on a date._

I felt a sweat drop drip down my temple just at the mental replay. The damn blush that had gone away since then came back in full force. I clapped my hands over my traitorous cheeks and tried to somehow wipe away the blood staining them such an indecent color.

_Gahh! The next time I see that bastard I really will put him in the hospital! Damn him to the lowest depths of Hell! I'm not even _gay! I reached the side entrance of the clinic and unlocking the door with my key, tried to silently slip in undetected.

My efforts were in vain, though. When the door swung open, the sight that greeted me was one of Dad's white, sock-clad foot.

"ICCHHIIGGOO! YOU'RE LATE, MY BEAUTIFUL SON! RECEIVE THY PUNISHMENT! FATHERLY KICK OF LOVING-"

My free hand grabbed his flying kick and I wrapped my other arm around his neck when he went past, taking him down in the fastest and least damaging way to my pride, as was possible. "Shut it old man. I'm not in the mood."

"When are you ever in the mood for one of Dad's sneak attacks, Onii-san?"

I swiveled my head towards the dinner table, taking in the sight of dinner laid out painstakingly for the four of us and thought, _Shit._

The pony-tailed, black-hair of one of my younger twin sisters—Karin—dipped in acknowledgement to my presence and gestured towards the Oyaji with her chop-sticks. "Good job, he's starting to turn blue. I give it a seven out of a ten."

I raised my eyebrow at her statement, while at the same time tightening my hold on my so-called father figure's neck. Drowning out his protests, I slammed my book bag into his head, causing his face to become imbedded in the floor. I then promptly sat on top of the back of the Oyaji, grumbling, "A seven? Why?! That deserved a nine at least!"

She rolled her eyes and taking a bite out of her rice with her chopsticks reasoned, "Because! The execution was sloppy! You were obviously thinking you could sneak in and you were surprised when you couldn't, that's why it's a seven and not an eight. Really, Onii-san you should know better. Being caught unprepared while you were at it cost you the nine as well. Better luck next time."

I snorted, used to Karin's cynicism after all these years of hearing her deny the existence of all spiritual beings. Even though her Reiatsu was just as strong as mine was before Rukia showed up, and she could quite obviously see spirits clearly like I used to be able to.

And how did I know this? Yuzu told me she had told her one day after she had heard a Hollow screaming in the middle of the night. Kind of lame that had to get facts through my younger sister but that was just how it was. But besides that...

Karin could argue the moon was made out of nothing but Cheese Whiz and yarn and _win._ That's how strong her logic was.

Excepting my mediocre score—for the time being—I heard the medium-length, dirty blonde-haired twin speak in disapproval.

"Karin! It's not nice to encourage them! And Ichi-nii! Dad's turning purple!"

I looked down and she was right. He was now a nice shade of royal purple that matched his horrendous ruffled, plum shirt in a disturbing fashion. I cocked an eyebrow, and both Karin and I dead-panned at the same time, "So?"

She gasped, puffing her cheeks out and placing her hands on her hips—with a giant wooden spoon in her right hand—while giving both of us—mainly me—her best, "Mother-knows-best" stare.

In other words it was completely ineffective for a death glare.

And seeing how it was Yuzu—who was wearing a frilly, white skirt, a bright, baby blue sweater, thigh-high, black socks and a pink apron with "Kiss the cook" running across its front—the only way it could have possibly come out was adorable anyway.

And it really means something when I'm saying that.

Like her twin, Karin, I rolled my eyes and scowling slightly, jumped up allowing for the old man to access air once more.

He spluttered and jack-knifed back into a standing position, good as new in less than three seconds. Dad had an amazing recovery rate, but then again he was a Shinigami in disguise using a Gigai, so that kinda helped.

"My son that was a marvelous take-down! But you're still late! Where were you, young man?!"

I thumbed off my blood-red Converse and dropped them by the door before strolling to the stairs, wanting to get out of my school uniform before I ate. I completely ignored Tou-san who was posing in a very disturbing manner by the front door.

Unfortunately, it caused my way to be blocked for the second time that day and a fist was hurled towards my stomach.

"ICCHHIIGGOO! Why are you running away?! ANSWER YOUR LOVING FATHER OR-"

I spun, dodging my old man's fist and whacked him in the face with my schoolbag.

Sent spinning into the living room, smoke trailed from his K-O'ed body while I started up to my room. I stated while I went by for clarification, "I'm not running you old goat-face! I'm going to set my stuff down and change, I'll be back in a second. And why don't you behave for once and actually act your age!"

Once more the Oyaji was in pristine condition again after he miraculously recovered, rushing to the poster of Mom on the wall after he jumped up from the place I had hurled him.

The dark-haired man began to sob loudly while hugging the poster on the wall, "Oh, Masaki! Our poor baby has become even more of a delinquent! He was late to dinner, and he even hurt his poor Daddy! Where did we go wrong?!"

I sweat-dropped, disgusted with his behavior but far too use to it to pay more than a passing sigh and eye-roll to his antics. "Stop with the melodramatics already, sheesh. Because really, every teenage boy totally comes home right after school and hugs their man-child of a Father."

I said the last part loudly and sarcastically. My reward was hearing Karin's snort of approval when I reached the top of the stairs.

Just because I was on the second story didn't mean my old man stopped bawling like a baby. If anything, he increased his volume just to get on my nerves.

"Masaki, my love! Our son has finally called me Father! What a joyous moment this is! I feel so loved!"

I growled underneath my breath, annoyed that he was clearly ignoring my sarcasm just to taunt me. "Shut it, you daft old man! You need to get your ears checked! And your brain while you're at it!"

It had been a bit of speculation, then a bet between me and Karin that our neighbors had sound-proofed their houses. With a thousand yen on the line we had been going at it for years.

Though by this time we were ready to call it a tie. The voice of that damn Oyaji could breach even solid concrete, making sound-proofing obsolete. Even hard-core Metallica on max volume couldn't drown out his insistent yelling. Believe me, we tried. So. Hard. Nothing worked.

But I digress.

I stomped across the hall past the twins' room and opened the door with the blue sign printed with 1-5 in white hanging above it to walk into mine.

But not before hearing the idiot shout, "HURRY MY BELOVED REBELIOUS SON~ FOR WE SHALL ENGAGE IN AN EATING CONTEST WHEN YOU GET BACK AND THE FIRST ONE TO CHOKE WILL BE THE WINNER!"

"Tou-san~ Get off the table! I don't want you putting your filthy feet in my food!"

"Karin's right! It's unsanitary, please sit down!"

Grousing the whole way about insane, old men, I closed my door and tossed my schoolbag onto my desk, quickly shrugging off my slate-grey jacket to fully reveal the plain, baggy, black t-shirt with long sleeves I wore underneath my white school shirt, and took that off as well.

Why you may ask? Because of that stupid cold front that had blown in suddenly, turning the nice, if but a little hot June weather, grey and windy. And wet.

Let's not forget all that rain. I loathed the rain.

I shimmed out of my equally stone-grey slacks and into a pair of loose, but warm, black yoga pants leaving my white socks on.

About six months ago I found out that I really liked loose and comfortable clothing just as much as the tight fitting ones I had worn for most of my teen life. At least around the house.

In fights I tended to get grabbed a lot and loose clothing was easy to snag on objects—and easy to pull as well.

I could count on one hand how many times I had not come home with a single rip in my shihakushou. I also didn't have enough fingers and toes to count how many times I had, losing the exact figure a long time ago.

It just had been so loose. Especially around the sleeves, and the hakama? Don't even get me started. The himo ties were a bitch to tie correctly and sometimes when I had tied them all only to find my hakama nearly falling off my hips, I just left them like that because I would get frustrated with trying to tie all of those damn ties again.

I mean, really? Did it have to have four full ties? I had become sick and tired of tying ties. That's probably the only thing I wouldn't miss about being a Shinigami. Those damn ties.

I sighed, for like the fifth time that day, and carded my hand through my long, spiky, neon-orange hair. I had let it grow out, liking how it made me seem older and more mature.

I moved around the room tossing my dirty clothes into my hamper and hurried to get back down stairs to join my dysfunctional—I blame the old man—family for dinner.

Just as I was about to place my book bag on the ground next to my desk instead of leaving it sprawled haphazardly on top of it, I slammed my knee against its wooden leg.

A dull "clank" was heard along with the screech of wood being moved forcefully against the floor. I hopped up and down on one foot holding my knee and cursing fluently like a sailor.

_Damn it, that's going to bruise later! Shiiiiiit!_ My balance wasn't too great at the moment and I toppled over, hitting the desk again. Needless to say I would be sporting several nasty looking bruises in the morning.

I dragged myself off the floor by holding onto the desk and leaned heavily on it, jostling it roughly while I tried to get back to my feet, an angry scowl curling across my lips.

Another dull thud was heard and I narrowed my eyes, staring suspiciously at my desk drawer. _It can't be... Can it?_

My first assumption was that Kon had somehow snuck away from the Geta-boushi's Shouten and was now hiding in my drawer. The same one I had occasionally stuffed him in when he wouldn't stop annoying me.

I cautiously drew it open expecting the furious Mod-Soul to come flying out to berate me for not visiting him.

He, for some odd reason, hadn't reacted the way we thought he would have when Rukia finally told him that I was losing my Shinigami powers, Reiatsu, and all of my Reiryoku.

Especially when Rukia explained to him that he couldn't stay at my house anymore and that he would be taken care of by the Geta-boushi.

Kon had at first thought she was just playing an elaborate hoax on him. When it finally dawned on his little Mod-Soul, pill-of-a-brain that she wasn't, he became surprisingly upset.

Shouting and bawling about how it wasn't fair. That he wouldn't cause problems, he wouldn't even annoy me anymore, just so long as he could stay with me.

It...was kinda touching. Not the annoying me on purpose part, but that he didn't want to leave. The stuffed animal was quite adamant and shockingly honest on his part when he said he had always appreciated me because I had been the first one to see him as another person that deserved to live.

Of course, Rukia and the rest had been just as firm and eventually Kon consented to live at the Shouten. He had, though, demanded I stop by and see him every once in a while.

As of yet, I hadn't done so.

I had many reasons as to why I didn't, but they were a whole other problem all together.

Seeing that there was indeed no need to cover my ears and that I didn't have a fugitive Mod-Soul hiding out in my desk, I relaxed.

Glancing closer inside the drawer I saw nothing but papers and a few loose odds and ends. Nothing that could have made that odd "thunk" I had most definitely heard earlier, anyway.

Scratching my head thoughtfully, I shifted through the loose paper and objects to see if there was indeed something heavy in it or not. I hardly wanted to start hearing things again. It was bad enough when I actually had voices in my head.

Of course, they had been my Zanpakutou and Inner Hollow so I wasn't exactly going crazy at the time, but I never saw anyone else having little breaks in reality to talk to their voices in their heads; so I wasn't too sure if Zangetsu had been doing something normal or not.

Though, he had been different from all the other Zanpakutou; so it wouldn't have surprised me if we had been doing something impossible.

Again.

And my Inner Hollow had been abnormal anyway so I didn't dwell on _that_ too long.

Reaching the bottom of months-old homework, scratch paper, notes and other bits and pieces of my written life for the past couple of school terms, I came upon what had made the loud "clanking" sound when I jarred the desk.

It was none other than my old Substitute Shinigami badge. The worn rock with an emblazoned skull on the front was still cartoonish as ever, and it didn't look any worse for wear for being tossed carelessly into the drawer and left to gather dust for months on end.

_Huh, I forgot I had put in here._ I reached for the dark beige cord it hung by and pulled it out of my desk.

Holding it up to the light, I rotated it back and forth noting how once where the light had struck the stone and gleamed off it, that it no longer did so.

_Almost like it's dead. Just like my powers..._ I blinked at my sudden morose thoughts and shook my head to clear the heavy atmosphere that had appeared out of my own melancholic emotions. _It's nothing more than a paper-weight now, hmph, and here I-_

"ICCHHIIGGOO! HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES?! I THOUGHT YUZU AND KARIN WERE THE ONLY GIRLS IN THE HOUSE?! YOUR SISTER WON'T LET US EAT AND I'M STARVING, SO GET YOUR BUTT DOWN HERE OR ELSE I'll-"

"SMACK"

"Or else you'll what?! Sit down and stop jumping up and down on your chair! I don't want your ginormous butt to squish my food or me!"

I jumped, fumbling with the badge when I heard Dad's aggravating bass resound through-out the entire house. It was just my luck to catch the lifeless badge before it hit the ground, but when I did something weird happened.

A high-pitch howl split the air and I dropped the badge in a hurry to cover my ears. My knees hit the floor, and I groaned in pain.

_What the hell is this sound?! It feels as if my ears are bleeding!_ I slid sideways, hitting my closet door and fell to the ground, curled up on the floor. After a second or two in which it felt like my head was going to split open, the sound slowly faded into the background.

A lasting ring continued to resound in my ears while I cracked open my eyes glancing around for the cause of that horrible screech. They were bleary from squeezing them so tight together so it took my eyes a second to re-adjust and the blur of my room to become at least a little more visible.

Sitting up, I shuffled my feet around and leaning against the sliding door behind me rubbed my stinging eardrums in a vain attempt to soothe the ache that had settled inside of them from whatever the hell just happened.

My hazy eyes traveled to the small badge lying innocuously on the ground a few feet away. Narrowing my teary eyes in suspicion, I, with wary apprehension reached for it. _Did it just..._

I was hesitant to touch it but I had to know.

Dragging it closer by its cord, I moved it so it sat in front of my lanky form and inspected it a little closer.

I didn't have a lot of time; my family was waiting down stairs so I couldn't take too long.

What I was worried about though, was that my badge had been dead for seven months. When it worked it had served me well, but like me, being drained of every ounce of Reiryoku, it too, had been devoid of life since then.

So if it _had_ just emitted that strange noise then I had problem. I kinda hoped it hadn't. _But that noise...it sounded like a..._

After all, if it had been, then that would mean it was working again_. And if it's working again that would mean I'm regaining my Reiryoku..._ And if I was regaining my Reiryoku then...

I gulped, trying to tamp down the furious bubbling of hope rising in my stomach.

Tentatively, I closed my eyes, reaching my hand out towards the source of my confusion.

A mental debate, a foreshadowing of World War III, was raging inside my mind. _Should I even be doing this?_ I hadn't had anything to do with the spiritual world in months.

Not since the others had started to shut me out, leaving me in the dark faster than I could have blinked. Any mention of spiritual happenings were completely ignored—if it was me asking—and if one of the others—Chad, Ishida, or Inoue—had to take care of a Hollow they just "silently and subtlety" signaled each other.

As if I couldn't tell exactly what they were doing.

At first I had been furious. Just because I couldn't see spirits anymore didn't mean I no longer knew that they existed. They didn't have to tip-toe around me like at the first mention of Hollow or Shinigami, I would get upset. I wasn't made of china.

Though, once I realized that the transfer of Kon from my house to the Shouten was their first step of removing me from the spiritual scene, and the oh-so-sudden secrecy of any spiritually-related topic was the second, I almost blew up at them.

They even had went out of their way to keep me from visiting the Shouten and the Vizard's warehouse, running interference for the first couple of weeks after I woke up from my month-long coma.

It infuriated me to no end. But I couldn't figure out how to tell them to stop.

The fact that Urahara was the one who suggested it nearly had me marching up to the Shouten to punch his lights out.

The old goat-face wouldn't talk to me either. I had tried to corner him a few times but he always deflected my question, sometimes answering that it wasn't the time for that sort of thing. The only reason I had told him I would wait was because we were in the middle of a freakin' battle!

But then I got to thinking, what was I so angry about?

After all how many times had I wished in the past that I could just be a normal human? How many times had I whined and complained about Hollow-hunting interfering with my school-work and life?

Too many to count that was for sure. So what right did I have to wish for a different outcome?

Hadn't I told myself that I would not regret?

I could acknowledge that I was a bit of a hypocrite for reversing my stance on that. But I could also say with all honesty that I had secretly enjoyed being able to do what I did. It was only after the fact that I realized just what was it I had sacrificed.

As the old cliché goes, "You never truly know what you have till it's gone."

For all my grumbling, I hadn't really minded my job as a Substitute Shinigami. Regrets or none. While the ability to protect had been my main reason for becoming a Shinigami...

...I really had liked fighting. At least just a little. I mean I wasn't a blood-thirsty beast like Kenpachi or Grimmjow and I certainly hadn't enjoyed killing.

But the thrill of battle and the clash of swords on the battlefield, had in some way, become a part of me. It was a bit ironic, coming to terms with that after I had already lost the ability to fight as a Shinigami.

I had retained all my battle-honed reflexes and instincts, though. Which, while good for fighting, had me tensing at every little noise and touch in my human body. They were so ingrained in me that when I no longer had a good outlet for all that energy I found that couldn't sit still.

I had never been much of a fidget-er during my teen years—child-hood doesn't count, it's impossible for little children to sit still—so when I kept bouncing my leg up or down or tapping my pencil against my desk it would surprise me when I got glares and harsh whispers for me to stop.

Probably the worst part of it all had been the loss of my strength. I no longer had the ability to see spirits. And if I couldn't see spirits then how could I protect Karin and Yuzu from Hollows and every other dead menace that lived in obscurity away from the eyes of those who could not see?

I had to rely on the Oyaji for their protection which left me stranded. Being a Shinigami—even a Substitute—had changed me for better or worse, and it had been just who I was. When I found that part of me stripped away I became lost and discombobulated. I no longer could fully live up to my name.

After all, I was essentially a blind person walking in the middle of the road who just happened to be deaf to the honking of the horns that warned of danger and the horrors that lay in front of me.

The only way I had managed to get past all of that and move on was when I gained an unwanted epiphany. Ironically enough, by overhearing the Geta-boushi talking to my old man in the kitchen at three o'clock in the morning.

I knew how out-of-sorts I had felt, but I had thought I was hiding my discontent away from the world. To hear from the perverted shop-keepers own lips that my depression was making my family and friends worry themselves sick over me was just like a kick in the ass after being pushed down several flight of stairs with a sword sticking out of my gut and having my fall be broken by none other than Kenpachi himself.

And according to Dad, my so-called "funk" wasn't the only change that had occurred over the past seven months. Apparently, my attitude like-wise had, according to the Oyaji, "become mellower." Whatever the hell that meant.

I felt like I was still the same person as before—physically at least—so I didn't understand what he was talking about. I mean yeah, I was a bit calmer...but mellow? _I bet he looked it up in the dictionary or something just to get a jab in at me, his delinquent son._

They had continued to discuss my "condition" very thoroughly that by the time a full hour had passed by I felt like a complete ass. I had thought that I was doing a pretty good job at it hiding my discomfiture... And everyone had still been able to see that I was acting different than normal. What their definition of "normal" when applied to me was though, I didn't know. But obviously if they had known that I wasn't ok with the situation I had found myself in without my Shinigami powers then I had been doing something wrong.

I didn't expect them to fully understand what it was that I was going through, but I had wanted to handle it by myself. It was my problem; I didn't want to drag anyone else into it.

I was doing exactly that, making others worry about me. And I hated it when my actions hurt someone close to me. It made my head spin and my stomach twist sickeningly.

So the conversation, which I had unwittingly overheard, helped me decide what to do at the time when my mind had been a complete mess.

I had to let go.

There really was no other option. My friends were constantly worried about me. I was making Yuzu unhappy and Karin unnerved. I was doing everything that I hadn't wanted to do in the first place. What kind of protector would I be if I kept on worrying them? If they were too focused on that they could get hurt or worse and I hardly wanted for that to happen.

Plus, as it was stated earlier it was just a matter of ethics to me. I didn't want or need people to worry about me. I was supposed to be the one to take care and protect others. Not the other way around.

I did what I had to do.

Pushing and repressing any and all hope, or thoughts about regaining my powers, even regret, I simply put, moved on.

So, sitting here at this moment, with the undeniable feelings of excited, almost desperate hope swelling and churning in my stomach, I told myself there was no harm in betting on fate.

After all, nothing would change if it didn't do anything. I had nothing to lose. _But everything to gain._

I touched the badge once more.

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I'm gonna be evil and leave you guys with this k? Take care!

Tarry a while. Thou art so fair. ~ Wild-Tama


	4. Shadow Talk

**Here we are again! Chapter Four! And since it's so short you'll be getting another Chapter in a few days!~ Ok, serious business. With Kubo being a troll i have to switch up somethings but no worrys! Everything is still right on track excpect one week updates—besides this week when ya get two!—for awhile k? K! Here ya go!**

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**Chapter Four-Shadow Talk**

The Traitorous Blade

Holds Only Death

And Despair

Without An Ounce Of Regret

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"Did you see all you needed to?" A thin male leaned against a bar counter, a crimson drink in his hand. An equally red book poked out of his back pocket.

"Hmmmm? Yep, he's the one." Another shadowy figure partially illuminated by the low, dusky light of a lamp sat to his right and took a sip of his amber-colored drink. A cross-shaped pendent gleamed in the light when he leaned forward from his leather arm-chair to place it on the glass table in front of him.

"Bah! I don't see the need for all of this! Why can't we just go on a vacation or something?!" A shrill female voice rose up out of the darkened room's depths, her silhouette swinging its legs leisurely against the back of the black leather sofa it sat on.

"With whose money?" Another voice piped up, deadpanning without a hint of emotion with a young male tenor; while its owner clicked away at the device held in his hand.

"Ugh?! Don't talk to me!" The woman with pig-tails on the top of the sofa growled out at the hat-wearing boy to her left that was actually sitting correctly on the piece of furniture.

"Settle down, jeeze. Why do you two always fight?" The second female in the group with a jockey hat on sat cross-legged on a bar-stool a way aways from the man with the bloody drink, watching them play their roundabout game of hate and love—more so hate than anything else.

"They are young. The young always squabble amongst themselves. It is a fact of time." A tall man with a slim but heavy frame cleaned a glass with a cloth from behind the bar counter. The bare light showed he had an eye patch over one eye.

"Oho? Really? Well, it's a good thing we have all the time in the world. Right?" The same lanky male that was leaning on the other side of the counter turned around, swirling his glass with an impishly-friendly smile.

"..."

"Hmm? Hello? Is anyone in there? Calling planet-"

"Can your ability shut out a Captain-level or higher Reiatsu?" The man that sat in the arm-chair interrupted the teasing suddenly.

"Of course. It is invincible." The same male with the hand-held in his hands parroted this without pause in his maniacal smashing of buttons.

"Good. We'll be needing it tomorrow."

"So soon?!" The woman that diagonally next to the gamer jumped off the sofa's edge waving her arms around.

"Yeah, that town is crawling with spiritually aware people, best to get in and out as soon as possible." The drinker replied locking his brown eyes with her own, hard and glinting with malice.

"But?!-"

"There are Shinigami here do I need to remind you? Get caught by them and its-"

"Game over." Her rival spoke up for all of them.

"..." She slumped back into the sofa's back, pouting.

"So a drive-by it is." The woman leaned against the counter, a smirk dashing across her thin features.

"It's settled. Tomorrow night we'll all become even more powerful." The guy standing by the bar top murmured, a frightful grin settling on lips.

"And what about him?" The small female frowning with arms crossed, sulking grimly.

"What about him?" The man raised an eyebrow in question almost daring her to continue.

"Is he going to join?"

"No." His lips quirked, half-mocking, half-scolding towards the younger.

"Then what are we going to-" Her eyes widened in alarm.

"Do?" His grin turned sardonic and he as well as the older male sitting in the arm-chair answered the pig-tailed girl with unrestrained glee.

"We'll just have to get rid of the body."

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So~ I know YOU know who these guys are and if not? Forshame!

Tarry a while. Thou art so fair. ~ Wild-Tama


	5. Of Live Bait And A Game That Never Ends

**As I promised a quick update but don't expect such sweet treats that often. I just felt a little cruel and all giving you such a short chapter. It's not like I'm wigglen' in happiness at all the attention you guys are paying to this, nope not at all! **

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**Chapter Five-Of Live Bait And A Game That Never Ends**

Lying In Wait

The Tongue of Lies

Whispers

To The Dark

* * *

The silent and serene quiet of the morning signaled a blessed lull of peace to the woman who stood vigilant in the door-way of her meeting place.

She was waiting for her friend. Who, quite unfortunately happened to be late.

And had left her standing there for over an hour. Which made her quite pissed indeed.

After all, when someone asks another out to go for a stroll in the morning, they typically do not leave the other out to dry.

Unless, they were of course a certain red-headed Fukutaichou. Then that was considered the norm for anyone he may happen to ask to spend time with.

_Five minutes. I'll give him five more minutes. Then I'll go back to sleep and he can tell me what he was so excited about later at a decent hour. If not..._

The noir-headed girl-ur woman nodded her head diligently confirming those said minutes onto her friend's life-um time. Yes, time.

It wasn't like she was going to mention to another certain individual—who shall not be named—about said certain Fukutaichou keeping her waiting for so long in the cold morning air.

Yes, she wasn't going to say anything to her Nii-sama. No, not at all.

She waited. And waited. And waited.

Five minutes. Ten. Thirty. An hour.

When the bell tolled, signaling through all of the Seireitei that seven o'clock had come, the raven-haired Shinigami bit her lip.

Tapping her foot she growled to the thin, cold, illness-inducing air, "Nii-sama will not be pleased. Here he was actually starting to, dare I say it, consider Renji for a promotion. I'm sure the Soutaichou won't be happy with trying to fill another vacancy in the Gotei 13. Or having to host another funeral."

When yet another minute passed without sight of the tattooed man, Rukia sighed and began to walk back to the Thirteenth Division.

"At least Ukitake-taichou will be happy to see me. He probably needs someone to distract Kiyone and Sentaro from driving him to his grave..."

It was then that the month-old, newly-appointed Fukutaichou of the Thirteenth Division heard an almighty crash and the wall in front of her exploded.

It seemed as if time itself had stopped as the dust and debris flew into the air.

_Wa-! One more step and I could have been hit!_

And then the very man she had been waiting for scrambled through the hole made in the Sekkiseki wall.

**"I DIDN'T MEAN IT!"**

He tripped over a rock and was sent tumbling. His Zabimaru in Shikai almost impaled him when this happened causing him to veer off from a safe landing to hitting the rubble fact first.

But even that didn't stop him; he quickly clambered up and took off right in the direction of the Kuchiki.

When he ran past she whipped out her hand and grabbed him by the back of the collar.

"And pray tell; where are you going Abarai-Fukutaichou? And…WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" She shook him like a dog, strangling him with his own shihakushou with a vein pulsing on her forehead.

"Ru-ki-aaaaaa!"

She stopped for a second smiling sweetly. "Yes ~?"

"Run." He then promptly past out.

She blinked in confusion echoing his last words intelligently. "...huh? Run? Renji! Don't just pass out on me! I've been waiting all morning for you and you have the balls to show up _late!_ And not only late but covered in blood and all cut up?! I outta-"

She paused processing the appearance of her best friend and fellow Shinigami Fukutaichou was in. "Wait?! Who did you piss off now you baboon-headed-!" Then she felt the monstrous, massive Reiatsu bearing down on her.

"Well, look at what we have here Yachiru. If it ain't Kuchiki Rukia, the Fukutaichou of the Thirteenth Division."

"Yay! No Boobies can play with Ken-chan too!"

Rukia had the common sense to "eep" and slowly glance behind the frothing male in her arms, a quiet tick mark on her forehead due to the pink-haired girl's new nickname for her. "Oh, you _have_ to be kidding me..."

There in all his glory—haggard, rugged figure, and suicidal grinning glory—towered the fierce Kenpachi Zaraki. And he had blood dripping from his sword. Yay.

"Say, you wouldn't mind handing over Renji there, would ya? We have a score to settle."

The small Shinigami was an equally strong and valiant warrior who didn't back down from doing her duty. That didn't mean she was stupid. The Eleventh Division Taichou would make mincemeat out of her like anyone else that got in his way. Even his own comrades.

So she did the smart thing.

"Oh my-! I-Ichigo!"

That made the man swivel faster than Soi-Fon when she saw a black cat.

And quickly used that time to high-tail it out of there.

"Ken-chan! They are getting away!"

Ok, maybe it wasn't the smartest thing in the world to do...

But luckily for the young Kuchiki, Yachiru always gave her "Ken-chan" directions.

It wasn't but a few minutes later that Kenpachi was lost within the labyrinth-like pathways of the Seireitei. Most probably going in an endless circle due to his Fukutaichou shouting "left" EVERY SINGLE TIME he came to a corner. And some times in the middle of the road.

_Hell, if she told him to go left at a dead-end he would just make one. Straight into and through a wall! _Rukia was not begrudging this at all. Not when it kept her alive and her blood inside her body where it was supposed to be.

"Renji, I'm-hah-going to-ugh! Kick your ass so hard when you wake up! What you wanted to tell me better be _damn_ important!"

She rounded a bend and kept running. After all, it wouldn't do to be caught by the monstrous man again just because he suddenly decided to just demolish the walls in search of his prey.  
—

Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck or just Nel Tu was having the time of her life.

Her Endless game of tag was so much fun! It was even more so when others played with the short Arrancar.

At least that's what she thought the other was doing.

Unfortunately, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques had another thought in mind. "When I catch that little brat I'm going to use her as a scratching post for my Desgarrón!"

For you see Nel Tu had done something unforgivable in the former Sexta's eyes.

Something so horrible it could not be uttered without- Ok so she just happened to find him dying out in the middle of the desert.

And she may have been a little hasty in deciding that the Espada wanted to live—he didn't.

There was no way in all of Hueco Mundo he would want to live after being saved by that infuriating orange-headed Shinigami!

His very name left a bad taste in his mouth.

So when Nel thought it would be a good idea to "heal" him it was quiet understandable that he held some animosity towards the green-haired child.

Strike that, he wanted to rip her head off and play fútbol with it—not that he knew what that was of course.

It might also be taken into account that her form of "healing" was just- Eww. Yes, that most definitely had an impact on his train of thought as well.

And that's where those two could be found at the moment, playing Hide-and-Go-Murder within the ruins of Las Noches.

This Endless game of tag had been on for a few months now. Grimmjow only stopped long enough to fight idiots who got in his way, take baths and eat anyone that bothered him too much.

Yes, he devoted his entire existence to trying to kill the little devil that had ruined his death.

And once he caught her it would be _glorious._

Too bad Nel was an expert at the game. Even when she danced right past him the fast blue-haired male couldn't grab her. When he did it wasn't for long though, because you see, Tier Harribel, the former Tres, wouldn't let him hurt her newly inducted charge. Harribel's Fracciónes—Franceska Mila Rose, Emilou Apacci, and Cyan Sung-Sun—would just stop him long enough for her to get away again.

An Endless game of tag it was indeed.

He still thought he could get away with it, thinking he was far superior then her and her little group of Arrancar though.

And yet he had not even come close to hurting the green-blur of the former Tercera, so Nel's imminent demise wasn't much of an issue for now.

Unlike those four playing keep away from Grimmjow though, the other members of Las Noches that had survived the Winter War kept relatively to themselves.

Out of them it was inadvisable to go looking for Szayel Apporo Granz. He, after all, experimented on anyone who came close and was weaker than him. The former Octava also drugged anyone else who wasn't. So it was all around a bad idea to associate with him unless you were expressively confidant you wouldn't end up on his operating table.

Though if you're wondering how said Arrancar survived being stabbed by one Kurotsuchi Mayuri? His Gabriel wasn't just used on Nemu you know; he did have a number of Fracción at his disposal at the time. Really, if only the Taichou had made sure to kill him thoroughly. Like cutting of his head, or breaking his sword before he went Resurrección.

Instead a hapless Fracción came to his aid and received a very, hmm, "intrusive" thanks for his efforts.

But despite all this it mattered not. The Shinigami scientist had inspired Szayel. Or worked him into a frenzied passion depending on who you asked.

He was now quite intent on proving that perfection by means of science was the only truth and aim for those such that claimed to be men of intellect. It was blasphemy to think otherwise. If one did not strive for perfection then what use was knowledge?

Yes, the pink-haired male had succumbed to mumbling to himself and eating anyone who made him cranky. Or interrupted one of his train of thoughts.

After all, he hadn't come out completely unscathed by Mayuri's superhuman serum in the end. The full extent of its effect was being revealed only with time. Everyone still wasn't entirely sure if the Octava should live. Especially when he started cackling madly to such a length to where he could be heard on the other side of the severely damaged palace, Las Noches.

As for Ulquiorra Cifer, he was barricaded in his room—or what Grimmjow called his bat cave—away from the rest of the former Espada. He had no reason to associate with them anymore and no one had seen hide or hair of him since the time he had come to inform them that he was indeed alive. Once hearing that Aizan had been defeated he broke away from the group, never to be seen since.

How exactly he survived after his fight with Kurosaki Ichigo was a mystery to them.

They hadn't know exactly how he was defeated—and he never bothered to tell them—they just knew his Reiatsu had disappeared seemingly for good and now he was back again.

It was speculated that he went into hiding away from them because Grimmjow wouldn't stop pestering him. Everyone knew of the intense dislike between the two and no one really cared either way.

That didn't mean Grimmjow in his spare time—for he was still chasing Nel—wouldn't try to pick a fight with the former Cuarta.

Many believed he had a death wish. That or he was just extremely bored and wanted to fight. They were the only Espada left and that was perfectly fine with them.

Now if only Nel Tu would stop helping Grimmjow destroy the rest of Las Noches they could actually live out their afterlives somewhat peacefully.

Oh, if only they knew the trouble that was heading their way.

* * *

Ok, some of you are yelling, some are cursing, some are fangirl/boy squirming. Grimmjow? Harribel? Nel? Cannon. Szayel? It could happen. Not likely but I need him and I don't think I bullshitted too much so it should be fine yes?

Ulquiorra? I really don't think Kubo kept him alive...but who knows? He's done weirder things. So I'm gonna feed a bullshit, logically thought-out line to Kurosaki and hope he's too busy arguing with Zangetsu to really question it. K? To those who are not happy? (If anyone is?) He's a vital part of plot. So he stays.

Tarry a while. Thou art so fair. ~ Wild-Tama

Questions? Suggestions? Feel like raging? PM me. I always like to talk with people.


	6. Truth, Tranquilizers, And The Ice Cream

**So here you go~ Another update! And it's a loooong one. That being said the next update will be in two weeks. I have to get more chapters ready for your readin' pleasure~ They get a little longer but some are still gonna be pretty short form here on out k? K! Also there is mild hinting towards GinjouxIchigo.**

**It's for humor only. Do not freak out. You are free to hyperventilate so long as you don't kill your computer screen or splash copious amounts of blood everywhere. Yes, that means YOU, you rabid fangirls.**

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**Chapter Six-Truth, Tranquilizers, and The Ice Cream Is Optional**

Break  
And Fall On The Sword  
So In Death  
May The Final Truth Be Found

* * *

I shuffled down the stairs, stretching and yawning casually as if I had just gotten out of bed. Once I cleared the landing I tread over to the dinner table where the rest of my family sat.

Dad was surprisingly behaving—somewhat—while he played with his chopsticks trying to make the twins laugh.

And by played I mean he had them shoved up his nose pretending to be a walrus.

Seeing how I hadn't been noticed—partially due to the fact that the old man was trying to get my sisters attention and the twins were ignoring him with practiced ease—I smiled endearingly at them from the background.

Wishing things could always be this calm and peaceful, I padded over.

Slugging the Oyaji in the head while I glided by, I scooted my out chair ready to sit down and eat.

The twins both stopped their conversation and roped me into talking.

"Ichi-nii, so glad you deigned to finally come and eat with us. I was starting to contemplate chowing down on that pig over there." Karin pointed towards the image of the Oyaji trying to surgically remove the chop-sticks stuck in his nose. She rolled her dark slate eyes in ill-disguised scorn.

The younger twin frowned, pouting. "Karin?! If you eat Dad then who will run the clinic?! And Onii-san, what took you so long? We heard some noises upstairs. Did you trip?"

"Hey?! Masaki! ~ Our children are so mean to meeeeee! ~"

I rolled my eyes good-naturally, while ignoring the wounded sound of the man-child in the chair across from me. Grinning, I apologized, "Yeah, sorry for making you two wait."

A chop-stick was flung at my head and I expertly deflected it with my hand.

"Tripped?! UNACCEPTABLE! Have I taught you nothing my darling boy?! Fight your Father and redeem-oof!"

I slouched down in my seat and using my own lankiness to my advantage, nailed him in the crouch with the heel of my right foot. "Shut up."

I then scowled, wiping the hand I had used to toss his make-shift projectile to the side off on my napkin in disgust. "And don't put our clean utensils in your dirty nose! I don't want the twins or myself to catch your idiocy."

I didn't acknowledge my Old Man when he whimpered about "that being a wonderful one-hit take down," And intoned with folded hands, "Itadakimasu."

And so dinner past with little incident.

Dad was as boisterous as usual, the twins inquiring to my school life and the usual making fun of our "Tou-san" every time he did something stupid proceeded as usual. I snickered whenever Karin ribbed him sarcastically and Yuzu happily protested to our idea of fun.

In other words, it was just a regular dinner at the Kurosaki Clinic.

It was near the end of our meal of red-bean curry, fish, and white rice that the topic of school shifted to me all of a sudden.

"So, Onii-san what took you so long to get home? You usually get back earlier on this day."

I looked up from where I had finished the last of my rice and blinked. It took me a second to process what Yuzu's question was before I blushed deeply.

I couldn't have stopped the blood from rushing to my face as much as I could have stopped the Earth from revolving around the sun.

I stammered, "Uh, well I-um, you see I was just-huh..."

There was a pregnant pause. This was soon shattered by none other than our old man.

"AHA! THERE IS NO NEED TO BE SHY MY BEAUTIFUL SON!" He stood up; placing his foot on his chair like it was his throne and pointed his index finger to the heavens.

I blanched at the use of the word "shy" being directed at me twice in one day and banged my fist against the table, cheeks red. "I'm not shy!"

He ignored me and proclaimed, "My son, you are in the spring of your youth! It is only natural for you to spread your wings and spring from the nest! Come, cling to my bosom and tell me about this woman that has so captured your heart and made you forget time itself!" He flung his arms wide and rounding on me, jumped over the table.

My eyes widened and I screamed before thinking, while jumping out of my chair, "It wasn't a woman!"

A really awkward silence descended on the room.

The goat-face was so shocked he completely missed me by several inches, colliding with the wall behind me face first.

I realized my mistake immediately and tried to backpedal. "No! I mean- I wasn't with anyone today I-"

"I knew it."

The dead-panned tone emanated from Yuzu of all people. She had a really serious face on and her light brown eyes were hard as granite.

Gaping stupidly at the younger, auburn-haired twin, I stuttered, "H-huh?"

She nodded her head, hair flouncing with the action. Laying down her chopsticks delicately and standing up, she then promptly raised her arms and flinging herself at me, began to cry, "Oh, Onii-san! I knew you were having an identity crisis! Why didn't you talk to one of us?! We still love you no matter what gender you find attractive! Right Karin?!"

I stood stalk still with only my eyes showcasing my horror which mirrored Karin's own. The only words that I was able to utter were, "W-what?"

Karin opened her mouth then closed it. Then opened it again. Finally, she stood up. Head hanging down, black hair falling over her face with shadows hiding it, she gripped her chop-sticks harshly nearly causing them to splinter. _"Ichi-nii..."_

I gulped in dismay when a sudden black-as-hellfire aura sprung around her.

She then looked up, meeting my gaze and I saw an evil glint shine in her eyes. "Ichi-nii, how long?"

I began to back away slowly, waving my arms frantically while also trying to keep my balance with Yuzu still sobbing on my chest. "How long what?! You guys got it all wrong! I didn't mean to say-"

I was cut off once again when I had to dodge flaming sticks of Doom. Having hit the floor with my crying sister in tow, I rolled out of the way just in time to avoid a chair being thrown at my head.

I was just glad that Yuzu had yet to detach herself from my front or else I'm sure it would have been aimed lower than that.

"Karin?! What's your problem?!" My eye twitched in anger while I wheeled backward, just barely missing my own chair leg that had been knocked over, arms covering the blubbering Yuzu from any objects being thrown—even though I knew Karin had great aim and would never hit her.

She glowered with the wrath of a thousand demons, spitting out, "What's my problem?! What's MY problem?! I don't have a problem! It's you who has a problem, you big idiot!"

Yuzu sniffled and for once in her life glared just as evilly as her twin did.

I had never been more proud-

"KARIN! Don't be mad at Onii-san! It's not his fault that his love stems from the same sex! Tragic as it is, we have to support him! That's what families do!"

-Even if I would be eternally scarred for the rest of my lives and after-lives.

Karin jerked back, an incredulous expression on her pale features. "Mad? I'm not mad at _that!_ I'm mad because this _idiot_ practically has women _**throwing**_ themselves at him and he's been completely oblivious this whole time!"

I recoiled at her statement and demanded, "Throwing themselves at me? What's that supposed to mean?! I don't have woman _throwing_ themselves at me! And what do you mean by oblivious?! I've been trying to tell you that I'm not-"

A hairy arm appeared in front of my face and pulling Yuzu and I apart, crushed me against their front.

And when I said pulled, I meant the goat-face—who had recovered from my out-burst and the plaster of the wall—twirled Yuzu away like a ballerina and smashed my face into his awfully frilled shirt and hard chest. It was equally disturbing when he started petting my head.

"Mugahha? Ummgahua!"

"ICHIGO! My poor baby! What wrong have I done to you?! I am a failure of a Father!"

I rolled my eyes and venomously snarled, trying to pull away from the old man's insane choke-hold.

The bearded wacko just hugged me tighter, wailing, "My wonderful son! O, how I have disgraced the name of Kurosaki! To think I would have, as a doctor, forgotten to tell you of the Bird and the Bees!"

My eyes widened in terror, my struggling renewed by this declaration. _Damn it! Na uh, I am not listening to this crap!_

"Son, there comes a time in every man's life when he starts to feel, well hor-"

I kneed him in the stomach at the same time Karin threw Yuzu's chair at him.

A double knock-out occurred and if I wasn't gasping for air I would have maybe been asking Karin for a high-five. Since I was, I settled for kicking my old man in the ribs while rubbing my aching throat. "WILL YOU THREE JUST LISTEN DAMMIT?!"

All three froze on the spot, eyes wide and mouths hanging open in surprise. It wasn't often that I yelled nowadays so their astonished expressions were well-founded.

Of course, their state of suspension didn't last long. The Oyaji—who else—was the first to break it. Popping back up from the floor we had knocked him to, he exclaimed, "Ichigo! I cannot accept this! I want grandchildren dammit! And unless you've been masquerading as a male for the past sixteen years-"

I didn't let the perverted man get any further than that. Braining him with one of my chop-sticks, I silenced him with skill only a Kurosaki possessed.

Which left me about three-point five seconds to get my words out before the same Kurosaki ability of being able to bounce back from anything kicked in.

"Sit down and let me explain." I crossed my arms and scowled deeply.

The twins did so immediately, Yuzu—who had regained her inner balance after the spinning session she just went through—righted her chair and squeaked out with her hair sticking up everywhere, "Of course, talking these sort of things out is the best course of action to come to terms with one's own insecurities."

If she noticed my eye twitching she didn't comment.

Karin, on the other hand, rolled her eyes still steamed about whatever she had been talking about but still sat down waiting for me to explain myself.

More likely she was waiting to collect another round of ammunition for her next assault. "You better have a good explanation Ichi-nii or I'm calling Tatsuki and telling her that she needs to smack some sense into you."

I suppressed the shudder that went down my spine and glared at my idiotic, old man; while ignoring the evil eye I was receiving from my young, demon sister.

Who, for once, actually listened to me and was sitting in his chair. But it could have also been because I was holding the other chop-stick in hand, the same flames of Hell surrounding my figure that Karin had summoned earlier. Or something like that.

But he didn't come quietly.

"I don't care what you have to do, but...I WANT GRANDCHILDREN! I WANT THEM, I WANT THEM, I-"

A kick to the face courtesy of both me and Karin stopped his whining long enough for me to get out, "Shut up about that already! One: I'm_ not_ gay-"

"You know what they say about denial Onii-san~"

I didn't acknowledge the sung out exclamation from my auburn-haired twin and continued. "Two: What I meant to say earlier was that I hadn't been with anyone, _guy_ or girl!" I glared, focusing my wrath in Dad's direction and before he could interrupt, rushed out, "Three: The only reason I was late was because I stopped to help this guy who got mugged. We talked and I forgot the time, sheesh. You guys shouldn't just jump to conclusions!"

All three blinked and Karin seemed immensely pleased by my answer while Yuzu's lip wobbled, her puppy eyes coming into play.

The younger twin finally burst out, "But! BUT! I WANTED A GAY BESTFRIEND!" She dropped her head to the table and sobbed into her folded arms.

The other two and I all sweat-dropped in astonishment. _That's her reason?_

I shook my head, rubbing the bridge of my nose in confusion and let Karin handle her. I quite honestly would never understand woman.

"Does this mean I can still have grandchildren?"

I didn't even look. I just slugged the Oyaji were he was creeping over my shoulder.

Vein throbbing, I began to move the dirty dishes off the table and placed them in the sink for later, seeing how no one else was doing it. It wouldn't be long before the old man recovered and called the meeting on tomorrow's plans to order since we were all done.

I stilled and carefully set the dishes down. Gripping the edge of the counter I took a few deep breaths calming myself down. Forcing my mind to notgothere I did so just in time before Karin called my name.

"Ichi-nii, here." She handed me a fistful of the eating utensils we had used during dinner—well, used for eating and for weapons of mass distraction.

"Thanks." I relieved her of them and set them in the sink with the other dishes gently.

She turned to go sit back down but paused to look me in the eyes. Plain brown met sharp grey and then they eased to a softer slate. She brought her fist up and bumped me in the shoulder half-heartedly.

Her eyes said it all and there was no need for words between us.

I softly smiled gratefully and returned the gesture; my own eyes a warm honey.

She smirked and nodded approvingly. She walked away.

I followed without hesitation.

Our two other family members were whispering conspiratorially and stopped suddenly as we came back, like they were spies or something.

We shared a look—Karin and I—and rolled our eyes in union. _What dorks._

"So now that dinner has officially ended, my son is indeed still going to marry a woman, and have nine lovely grand-"

"Urusai!" A tick mark bulged on top of my forehead.

"And we all are impatient to eat Yuzu's Specially Home-made, Super-deluxe, Strawberry and Chocolate a la mode Brownie Sundae!"

"Straw…berry?!" My eye twitched in annoyance.

Yuzu shrunk down in her seat, bringing her index fingers together while she mumbled into her chest, "I thought it might cheer you up… I mean you eat so many of those chocolate bars…"

I couldn't stop myself from cringing at the depressed aura hanging around her.

Karin shot me a glare and promptly patted Yuzu's hand. "I think it was very thoughtful of you Yuzu. Right, Ichi-nii…?"

Her glower bore into my skin.

I quickly nodded in assent. "Yeah, of c-course. Thanks Yuzu."

The Oyaji rambled on while we talked—and me being threatened. "I call the seventh annual Kurosaki meeting to order! As we all know tomorrow we have to be sharp, we have to decisive. We must not falter and we cannot give in. Tomorrow we march for a fair maiden of nob-"

"Tou-san, we're just going to go visit Kaa-san at her grave. Not riding out to an epic battle. Quit the heroic renditions and get onto it. I want to eat desert. And I better not be Chief of Stuff like last year! I want a promotion!" Karin's dry disdain for Dad's antics was already bleeding through her usual sarcasm while she hit her palms against the wood of our dining table. Any longer and she would be throwing things—again.

I, of course, agreed with my younger sister—regarding getting a move on, I could have cared less about her "promotion"—and leaned back into my chair once I sat down at the end of the table. "Just get onto it old man. We don't have all night."

Seeing the dark-haired geezer pout and sulk across from me was not a pretty sight, but at least he finally started. Bouncing back to his usual foolish self he proclaimed, "Fine. As Chairman, I say let's get this meeting going. Yuzu!"

She jumped up and saluted, "Hai?!"

Pointing he ordered, "As our resident, professional cook, I'm promoting you to Head-Chef from your previous rank of Secretary of Lunch!"

A yelp of "What?!" Echoed from the enraged twin to my left.

Yuzu, on my right—with sparkles in her eyes—puffed out her chest in pride. "It's an honor, sir."

I simply rolled my eyes in good humor. They had done this every year, switching titles and what-naught every single time we convened. _Really, she was the co-chairman with Karin two years ago. If anything she's been demoted..._

"Also, you will be given the title of Master Penmanship of Legal Letters! We need a notice made for tomorrow informing the public of our absence…"

Yuzu whipped out a pink, mini-notepad and pen out of her apron and with a click, began to scribble furiously while her tongue poked out of her mouth to left side of her face. It would have been cute if she wasn't being as ridiculous as the Oyaji.

The opposite twin scowled and muttered darkly under her breath till Tou-san called her.

"And make sure to place Karakura Hospital's emergency number on there as well as an apology for any loss of limb or life that our closing may cause. Karin!"

Contrary to her mood earlier she did the opposite of her mumblings and stood up just as fast as her sister had.

Nodding her head sagely, she too played along, "Hai!"

It wasn't hard to tell that she was anticipating her change in rank.

Our Tou-san just raised his hand and saluted her back. "Good! You, from now on, will be called Vice-president of Supplies and Schedules. We need max organization and a steady supply of resources! Only you can do this!"

Karin's scowl from earlier had all but disappeared. In its place a slight grin was forming. Her eyes were also shining in determination, a fist made and set in front of her. All in all, if her pose were to be taken out of context it would certainly look like she was planning for World Domination.

_Or something very close to it..._ Sweat dropping at their enthusiasm I crossed my arms, smiling at my silly family.

_I hope my family can remain this way. Yuzu, sweet and innocent, Karin, rough and tumble, and Tou-san..._ I glanced over to where he was hugging both of the twins, a large, goofy smile on his face. My smile widened and I felt a certain warmth spill out in the middle of my chest. _Silly and protective, he's the only one who can protect them now._

With that warm feeling though, came a sudden dip and my emotions turned dour. He, as a true Shinigami, was the only one with enough power to keep away the Hollows that no doubt were attracted to my little sisters Reiatsu. The only one who could still protect our family.

A heavy lump formed at the back of my throat while I glanced over to the portrait of our Kaa-san. Eyes lingering, I traced my way from her kind eyes to her brilliant smile and wished for once that it never be taken down.

The woman who had sacrificed her own life for me.

I blinked and looked away. _Who gave up everything...for someone like me_.

When my gaze landed back on what was left of my family I felt my heart clench in pain. A war was being waged in my heart and both fronts were fighting with their all.

_Why did I have to touch that stupid badge again?_ I clenched by fists and sighed.

Unluckily, the old man turned to address me, "Ichigo!"

I just raised an eyebrow snapping out of my own thoughts. "Yeah?"

He frowned, eye-balling me, then closed his eyes while scratching his scraggly beard. "Hmmmmm... What should I make my rebellious son do? Something that would embarrass him?"

My lip twitch as well as my hands. I wasn't above getting up and throwing the table at him.

"What to do, what to do... Aha! I know the perfect job for my dear son!" He raised his arms in the air with a shout of jubilation.

I sighed and rubbed my forehead hoping the buzz between my eyes wouldn't turn into a headache later tonight. "And—I hate to ask—what exactly is that?"

My old man fist-pumped—and yes, it was disturbing—while he crowed, "You shall help me compose an epic poem for my beloved Misaki!"

"No." I wasted no time in raising my hands in an x-formation.

He stopped shouting. "Huh?"

I scowled and growled once again, "No."

His face fell and slumping forward onto the table he wiggled to where he was lying half-way across it with his face level on the spot I usually sat my food down to eat, whining, "But why nooooottttt~?"

The puppy-dog eyes and large streams of tears he was exhibiting—startlingly and quite strangely—was almost as disconcerting as Yuzu's was. Which on a male the size—as well as level of hairiness—as the Oyaji was not just horrifying, it was also gross as hell.

My right foot met his infinitely broken nose and I showed no remorse in grinding the sole of it harshly into his face. "Why? One: it's a stupid idea; two: it would take too long; three: why in the name of all the people I have handed their own ass to as well as that of pure evil-incarnate—coughAizancough—would I want to work with you; and four: that look just now? Yeah, make it again and I'll break your face."

Raising my foot off the deep, steaming red impression I left behind in the crater formally known as my old man's nose, I placed it back on the floor.

"Wow, forget about that seven earlier Ichi-nii. Just for that I'm upgrading the scoring scale."

Shifting in my seat, looking away from the sobbing mess of our Tou-san I frowned, confused. "And?"

She just leaned backwards against the counter she was standing by seeing how while the goat-face and I were arguing earlier they decided to go ahead and get dessert ready.

Yuzu was busy getting the bowls and Karin had already taken the vanilla ice-cream carton out of the fridge.

Smirking she announced, "For that performance? Over nine-thousand."

I face-faulted. Standing up shakily, my eyebrow twitching, I couldn't help the large grin that had snaked its way onto my face while I shook my head and weakly snickered, "That is the last time that shall ever be mentioned in this house again."

She returned it by sneer, "Come on, you have to admit I did a pretty decent job, ne?" "You're just sore Karin and I beat you at soccer the other day Onii-san."

We both glanced over to the petite form of the youngest sibling wielding a humongous kitchen knife.

The image itself wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for the red liquid dripping off its blade and onto Yuzu's apron.

The silence was appropriate this time before we officially freaked out.

"YUZU, WHAT THE HELL?!"

"OH MY-! YUZU?!"

"MY DARLING BABY GIRL!"

She blinked, looking at the knife and then back to us, licking off a few drops on her hand. "Guy's~ It's just strawberry sauce!"  
—

I towel-dried my hair and sunk into my desk chair. Setting the cloth around my shoulders and letting a sigh pass my lips, I leaned back. Peeking out of the window into the dark of the night I saw clouds had begun to gather. _It's looking to be a stormy night. Hopefully, it will be clear of rain tomorrow. Otherwise it would just be double depressing..._

I shook my orange locks free of any leftover water droplets, letting the towel around my neck catch the stragglers while I ran my hands through it slowly.

My light brown eyes caught the clock and I blinked.

_Whoa! 10:23 already?! Seriously, that old man kept the twins up too long, now they're going to be tired tomorrow, especially Yuzu._

It was a known fact that walking up that steep hill to get to the Karakura Cemetery left her nearly exhausted. By the time we finally got home afterwards she was dead on her feet. Karin on the other hand was a trooper, but even she would slump into her bed and be dead to the world for hours.

The old man was an exception all on his own. Sometimes I wondered if he was on something. There was just no way could he have all that energy.

I let my head thump to the surface of the wooden desk and I ignored the awful "clink" of the small metal badge that hid in my drawer.

I didn't want to have to deal with the damn thing at the moment. It had already annoyed me out of my mind earlier, making me think that I was actually gaining my powers back. _Che, it was probably a noise from outside. Here I was thinking I was completely sane, but noo~ I'm just hearing things. Again._

Huffing, I turned my eyes away from glaring a hole in the wood. Shuffling my feet, I sat back up and nudging my rolly-chair backwards, spun into the middle of the room. I slid lower in my seat staring at the light fixture on my ceiling.

Only one thought was on my mind. What now? I didn't know. I probably would be looking for the rest of my life out my peripherals, searching for a sign or whisper as to what I was really supposed to live for.

I grabbed my small, off-white slip of a towel and slid it over my face. Downtime use to be hard to come by when I was a Shinigami and I always wanted it. At the moment I had too much of it and I didn't.

I wanted to go out and move. I was so energized it felt like I was sinking in glue whenever I wasn't doing something. The only reason nowadays I got to really work out all of that adrenalin was when gangs picked a fight or the Goat-face attacked me. _Back then I would have hit my head against a wall for even thinking that the old man attacking me was any sort of fun. Now it's the only time I have to really feel alive. _I slouched even lower in my chair.

For a while the lethargy had slowly been killing me. I wanted to sleep but found that I couldn't because of the pent up energy stored inside my muscles. I hadn't had a decent night of sleep for weeks. _That might have been a reason why the others were able to notice my waning enthusiasm for life in general._

Large bags under someone's eyes can be a tell-tail indication of insomnia. And by what I could tell, I had it bad.

But I wouldn't bother Dad for anything to combat it. Mostly because he would put up a huge fuss over it. That was really the only time he actually acted like a real Tou-san. When either the twins or I became sick, he always took it as a personal affront as a doctor for letting us get ill. In those moments it was a bit awkward for the both of us. _Probably because he doesn't hit me and I can't hit him._

The only other reasons I don't say anything is because I am the kind of guy that just deals with it, through hell or high-water.

That and addiction can be a very lethal pastime. Both the girls and I were extremely wary of any types of drugs. None of us wanted to risk getting hooked on anything so we were very cautious about taking any sort of medicine.

Growing up in a clinic with a whole stock room filled with drugs just downstairs also conditioned us with self-restraint; while at the same time teaching us not to take any sort of medication without severe need for it. Even splitting headaches were usually cheerfully masked behind grins and the occasional rub of the eyes. We had all seen cases were someone had overdosed on something as mundane as Aspirin and having a doctor for a father didn't hurt either.

That being said, at the moment, my eyes were burning from lack of sleep and my headache from earlier had transformed into an ice-cold throb of pain right between my eyes. _Man, if I don't get more sleep soon I really will go insane. Or kill over dead._ Yawning, I stretched out my arms and legs, removed the towel from my face and made to stand up.

Only to be sent head over heels into my bed frame. "Wah?!" Stunned, I did not move and in that second of weakness, I was pinned there. My attacker twisted my arms behind my back and their weight was enough to press my face into my bed sheets. "Who the hell-?!"

It would have normally only taken me a second to turn the tables on my assailant but due to the fact that my body was significantly weaker thanks to my lack of proper rest; my struggles were considerably pathetic against the larger man.

How did I know it was a man? Easy, no woman was _that _heavy. And I had already smelt the aftershave my goat-face-of-a-father wore. How he was able to sneak up on me was another story altogether. Not after all the long years of brawling we had done. The only explanation for his sudden bout of stealthy-ness had to be due him using his powers in his Gigai. The cheater.

"Mugahh!" _Damn it! He's really heavy! _Trying not to suffocate and squirm away from him all at once wasn't working and I knew he wasn't going to let me go. So I stopped fighting—even though it went against all of my instincts—and focused on not suffocating on my own linen.

And yelling. Can't forget the yelling, though I made sure to keep my volume down to a reasonable level—Karin and Yuzu were, after all, sleeping.

"Let go Oyaji! Don't make me kick you in the balls again!" I kicked out as best as I could in my awkward position.

When I had been sent spinning into the bottom of my mattress my legs had folded underneath me so the only part of me that wasn't slumped across the floor was my head. And that was over the bed being squished by my dumbass old man, an elbow keeping my neck down against it.

Speaking of which, said bastard was being oddly silent. _He usually yells out his sneak attacks..._

I turned my head so I was at a better angle to see him. This resulted in him increasing the pressure binding my arms together. It rose to such a degree I had a hard time keeping myself from crying out.

Biting my lip, I glared at the idiot holding my arms captive, while spitting out, "Let go, you damn Oyaji!" I wasn't about to tell him that he was actually starting to bruise my skin.

The black-haired man remained stone silent and an odd feeling was beginning to roll down my spine. "Oya-ji?"

He just continued to stare at me with a look of concentration on his rugged face.

It was starting to seriously creep me out. Narrowing my eyes and growling in annoyance, I wiggled around trying to loosen his hold. "Ok, that's enough! What's the matter with you?!"

Tou-san only closed his eyes and sighed tiredly. Then he smacked me upside the head.

This caused my nose to hit the mattress dead-on. "Wha- Itai! Wh-why you-!"

Then the ranting started. "YOU ARE SUCH AN IDIOT MY SON! TO BE CAUGHT UNAWARES FROM MY ATTACKS TWICE IN ONE DAY! THIS CALLS FOR," He paused dramatically, and then whispered, "...a Father-Son Bonding Day."

I blinked the tears of pain away from the corners of my eyes, staring back at my pajama-wearing old man who was acting stranger than usual. And I meant the fact that he had been staring at me for the better part of the night. If he thought that I hadn't noticed during dinner he was dead wrong. Then this? "W-what? Why?!"

Meanwhile, he only gave me a lop-sided smile and repeated, "Because, my son, you are a dumbass."

My eyes wide, I just stared at him in bewilderment. _He...is calling me...that? Me? ME?! This-this guy...!_ My eye twitched and I snapped out my leg hooking it behind his own grey-clad leg and pulled.

"Ouch!"

The satisfying thump of his head banging on the floor was enough to put me in a slightly better mood then before. This meant I would only smash his face in, not break his nose or something like that.

My old man had hit the floor on his back but rolled and aimed a punch towards my left side.

I grimaced, blocking him with a rush of adrenaline, grabbed his red nightshirt and moved to send a kick into his kidneys.

Instead, he grabbed my leg and tugged me forward, causing me to lose my balance and this made me fall backwards.

My right arm was grabbed, twisted, and the next thing I knew I was lying on my stomach on the floor, a knee pressed against my shoulder blades and hands pinned to the wood.

All this happened in less than five seconds.

I laid there winded and just a bit banged up. _What's the matter with him? Isn't he using just a little too much force? _I had noticed that fact when I had stepped in the door earlier. He had been hitting me with more than his usual strength at the time.

The older male rumbled, "Shameful. You should have put up a better fight, Ichigo. If I were an enemy you would be dead right about now."

It took me a second to process what he was talking about and when I did, I scowled, huffing out, "Well, excuse me! Sorry if I wasn't expecting to be ambushed by my idiot of a father right before going to bed! What's up with you anyway? You've been on my case for the past few days and now this?"

I wasn't lying.

He had been hounding me for the last few days asking me odd questions and watching me from the sidelines.

He was up to something. I just didn't know what.

He merely raised an eyebrow in response whilst he rubbed his black beard with his free hand. It took a few seconds but he finally replied, his normal goofy grin sliding back in place to wipe away his abnormal serious features, "Nope! It's still shameful! You've been letting yourself go, my darling son! Don't think that Daddy hasn't noticed! You can tell me anything you know? Then we can have an amazing father-son bonding moment and Masa-oof!"

A well-placed backwards kick to his skull silenced his increasing volume. He dropped off me and held his head whining about an "unfair advantage of flexibility" or some bullshit like that.

Sneering, I rolled onto my side and sat up from the floor. "Don't even start bastard. It's far too late at night for that sort of thing. And you're the one who cheated! You used your powers! Only someone who walked on air would be able to make it past that third floorboard that squeaks at the front of the twins' door!"

That seemed to catch him off guard and he blushed sheepishly while he pointed an accusing index. "Yeah, well, you should be paying attention! Powers or not, you should know better than to let down your guard! But that's beside the point!"

I snorted and ruffling my hair, stood back up on wobbling legs. I popped my back where the idiot had displaced it and growled, "Oh, so attacking your only son is "beside the point!" What a joke. Even if I was on my "guard" I would still be dead in less than a minute! But, oh! That's "beside the point!" Please enlighten me oh-Father-of-mine, what exactly _is_ the damn point?!"

I could blame the snark I was giving to him on my lack of sleep, but in reality, he was just pissing me off. Like he did every single day. Exercise or not he always acted like a freakin' child all the time! It annoyed me out of my mind!

His response was only to cross his arms and raise his nose to the air. "Well, that's not very nice! Here I was only trying to help and I get sass for it!"

I grit my teeth together, a fist forming to wave at him threatening. "Help?! HELP! You are the last person who could help me! Besides what kind of helpful person ambushes his kid, huh?!"

I turned around fuming, my back to him while I picked up the towel from my bath that lay on the floor. The one I had dropped earlier thanks to my insane, old man.

The goat-face's voice suddenly became serious, "Ichigo, how long have you not been sleeping properly?"

I froze, holding the damp cloth in hand while my eyes widened in surprise. _How did he...! Oh, yeah, he's a _doctor.I scowled, straightening up with hands fisting in agitation.

"What are you talking about Oyaji? I've been sleeping fine." I still hadn't turned around, not trusting myself to be able to look him in the eye and lie through my teeth.

I heard a scoff and the light creak of the wood that his heavy, non-sock-clad steps created. A hand clapped over my left shoulder while I toyed with the ends of my small rag trying to busy myself without making it look too obvious that I was stalling.

"Really? Then I suppose Yuzu's been sleep walking and you really haven't been having nightmares for the past few weeks."

Whipping around I locked eyes with him, confused. It didn't matter that I probably just gave myself away. "Nightmares? What do you mean?" I didn't remember ever having any dreams during my almost sleepless nights. I would usually toss and turn, then sink into a dreamless sleep at three or so in the morning then wake up. _It actually has been quite a while since I last dreamt... At least one I could remember._

Still serious, my old man just looked at me, a slight frown making itself at home on his rugged mug. "So you don't remember having any dreams, huh? Well, that makes things easier then." He unfolded his hands and began digging through his own sleep-wear.

I narrowed my eyes, watching him cautiously just in case he did something and asked, "Makes what easier, Goat-face?"

He grimaced and started digging through his back pockets on his grey-cotton pants, mumbling, "I'm sure I put it around here somewhere...now where is it?"

Seeing how he was ignoring me a vein appeared on my brow, just waiting to burst. "Don't just ignore my question! What are you mumbling about?!"

Tou-san peeked at me for a second before going back to his search, this time scratching his head and glancing around my room. "Nothing. Hey, Ichigo what were you really doing while you were coming back to school?"

I did a double-take, confounded as to why he would ask that. I placed my hands on my hips, annoyed about the fact that he was wasting my time with these pointless questions. It wasn't like he cared or anything like that. He never had.

"What do you mean what I was doing? I already told you at dinner. This guy got jacked and I helped him. It just took me awhile to get away from him. He talked too much." I waved my left hand in front of my face—which heated a little at remembering that idiot's inappropriate request—as if to brush the entire incident under a rug. Or push it violently off a mile-high cliff.

_And tried to offer me—a minor and probable half his age—a date. Which I promptly declined and tried to bash his head in for calling me the unmentionable fruit. My name means "He who protects," Dammit!_ I silently steam-broiled at his earlier actions—more like advances—that I only realized after the fact to be of the flirtatious nature.

Of course, I wasn't going to tell the Oyaji any of that. There really was no telling how he would react to that sort of news. The incident at dinner was just one reason why that would be a very bad idea. Plus, it was just kinda embarrassing. _That Ginjou's just damn lucky I'm not homophobic or else he really would be dead meat. He can thank Honshou Chizuru for that, being the class lesbian and all._

Once I finished, I noticed Tou-san on his hands and knees looking under my bed for some reason. "And what exactly are looking for that could quite possibly be under _my _bed?"

He just snorted in my direction and waved his hand at me. "Nothing. Anyway, you telling me the truth son? Because if you are not, I will find out and I will ground you.

I reeled back as if slapped. It took me a few seconds before I fully reacted to his accusations. "What?! I'm not lying! Why would I?! Besides, why do you care what I do?! You never have before!"

This seemed to trigger something in him, maybe a button of actual parental nature, because he immediately hauled himself off the floor. Stalking forward he grabbed the front of my black shirt causing me to hit the front of the desk that I was next to. Face stern, he growled into my mine his response, "Ichigo, I may not be here all the time to look after you three," He paused, a rueful smile on his face, continuing, "But I am your Father whether you like me or not and as your Father you will _not_ talk to me that way, do you understand?"

I blinked in astonishment. He never had been this serious before. Not even during the Winter War. Or in the Dangai telling me about the Final Getsuga Tenshou. _Where is the silly, rough-housing old man? And where did this guy come from?_

I was so shocked I didn't react or say anything.

"I care a lot more then you think. Just because I may not show it all the time I try and keep both you and your little sisters as happy as I can. I may not do a very good job of it, that was Masaki's area of expertize after all, but I do as much as I can with what I got. You three are so independent now all I can do is watch from the side-lines and hope that when you fall and get hurt you won't mind if I rush over to wipe the pain away and that you'll still let me do so."

Sighing, with a hand rubbing the side of his jaw tiredly, he finished, "And I know you've had a hard time adjusting to the way thing are now Ichigo, but you are not alone. Remember that. You still have all your friends. Be glad that the only consequence for that war was the loss of your powers and not their lives."

The older male let go of my shirt and straightened it out, patting me on the shoulder after he was done.

I could only stand there with a lump in my throat for the second time that day. "Tou-san...I-"

He ruffled my nearly dried hair and grinned. "That being said I want you home before six-thirty from now on."

I blinked, and then mouth gaping stuttered out, "H-huh? Six...-thirty?"

He nodded his head and gave me a thumbs-up. "Yep. If you aren't home by then I'll ground you for a week."

I had stood stock still for his entire lecture but I suddenly found myself lunging at him, grabbing his collar and giving him a good shake. "A curfew?! Why?!"

The damn Oyaji just winked and gave me that shit-eating grin of his. "Why?! To protect my beautiful, baby boy from all those baddies, murderers, and rapists that crawl the streets at night!"

He then promptly glommed me, throwing his hairy arms around my shoulders, which in turn caused me to nearly lose my balance. "After all, Masaki would have wanted me to keep our only son from being defiled! At least before marriage! Now give Daddy a good-night kiss!"

"Get off, bastard! You are too heavy and your breath smells! Plus, that's just weird!" I planted my palm against his bearded cheek in an attempt to keep his ugly mug from touching mine.

We struggled a bit more and I finally got him in the chin with a fist at the price of a gross smack on my cheekbone. I wiped it off in disgust with the back of my hand and rubbed the saliva-covered appendage on my pants.

The damn old man lay on the floor again whimpering about how I was just like Kaa-san with my "tough love."

I snorted, eye twitching with all sorts of righteous anger. "One: never, ever do that again old man or you'll be missing half of your face. Two: Curfew? Nah-uh. Ain't doing it. Never, nope, and nada. Three? I can take care of myself, thank-you-very-much. I'm not about to be jumped by a gang and get my ass-kicked. If anything I sent more people to the hospital then bruises that they've managed to give to me!" My scowl deepened. Continuing I growled, "Besides, I'm sixteen! I'll be seventeen in a little less than a month! Why do I have to have a curfew?! And don't give me some random answer! I want the truth old man!"

While I steam-rolled all over his orders, he sat up, rubbing the place where I had caught him in the chin. When I continued to glower at him as if wishing for him to catch on fire and burn into nothing but a pile of cinders, he got up.

"You really want the truth son?"

I nodded, arms crossed while I leaned against my desk. "Yeah, I don't like being kept in the dark." This statement was sent headlong at his head, barbed with poisonous spikes and all.

He had the decency to nod his head and then looking thoughtfully out the window at the uncovered, almost full moon explained, "You know that you no longer have any Reiryoku right?"

I frowned and answered in the affirmative.

He continued, "Well, that is true but that doesn't just mean you're like other humans now Ichigo."

I narrowed my eyes, asking, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that while you no longer emit Reiatsu and can't produce any spiritual energy of any kind, past actions always have consequences."

I raised an eyebrow, something in my stomach instinctively churning in apprehension. My hands gripped the black cloth under my fingers tighter than before. "And?"

He looked away from the window coming to stand inches away from me, face shadowed. "While you acted as a Substitute Shinigami...you had massive reservoirs of Reiryoku and Reiatsu. Those don't just disappear Ichigo."

He raised his hand before I could interrupt. "Now I know what we told you was that you fell into a month-long coma after the battle with Aizan because most of you Reiatsu disappeared at the time. But remember when you woke up? And how you were still able to see Rukia and the rest of them?"

I hesitantly nodded, not understanding where he was taking this. "Yeah, but only a few hours later she and everyone else left as they disappeared for good."

I tried to not sound bitter about it. But it was hard seeing how it had been seven months and none of them had come to visit. Even though I couldn't see them in spirit form didn't mean they couldn't use the Gigai they had before to at least stop by and say hi.

At first I just told myself they were busy but when I began to be ignored when anything spiritual happened I realized I probably wouldn't get to see them in a very long time. Like till I was dead. That had pissed me off to no end but I dealt with it because I had to. It was as simple as that.

Oblivious to my mental turmoil and looking older then he should, he got to the point. "That's correct. Except for one tiny detail. All that Reiatsu you leaked during the time you were a Shinigami? Yeah, it was enough to cover the entire town in a blanket of sheer power." He let his statement hang in the air as conspicuous as an elephant in a china glass store. "And while you slept in that coma your body unleashed massive fluctuations of it into this world."

My arms unfolded to hang limply at my sides while unadulterated understanding began to flow over me like a tidal wave. _Wha-what?_

"In other words, specifically those of Urahara, "The immense amount of Reiatsu in the air of Karakura town will take decades to disperse." And while that happens all the citizens of Karakura will unintentional become more spiritually aware as time passes. I don't think I have to tell you what that would mean for the town itself. After all, Karakura has always been a feeding ground for Hollows."

I sagged against the desk, eyes trained on the ground unable to meet his. Breathing became difficult and my heart thundered. _Hollows...Hollows eat people with high Reiryoku. They even target weaker, spiritually sensitive humans to lure out others, like Inoue, Chad, and Ishida... Is that why...is that why it seems like they have to run off more? To deal with the constant flow of hungry Hollows? Hollows that MY Reiatsu attracted here? MY Reiatsu that makes everyone in this town a potential victim? It's my own...my own fault?_

I couldn't stop the sudden spiral of agony that made my world spin. I caught the sides of the desk, knuckles white from the total will-power I had to put into staying upright, the outright horror of my situation nearly suffocating me. My breath came faster and I felt my head becoming light.

Hands grabbed my shoulders and kept me from falling to the floor. "Ichigo, take deep breathes. In and out. Don't panic."

I did what he said but still found myself feeling ill and my limbs were as stable as jelly. Recognizing the symptoms of hyperventilation I tried to calm down but it was an almost impossible task in itself. I raised my head and locked eye-sights with the concerned, darker brown of my father's. "I've... I-" _-killed them._

He looped his arms around my back pulling me into his embrace when I felt my legs finally give out. The only thing keeping me from toppling to the floor was his hold on me and the death-grip I had claimed on his shirt.

Bunching the fabric I found there, I buried my face into his shoulder, not sobbing, but unable to control my emotions any longer.

He stroked my hair letting me stay there as long as I needed. A few seconds or minutes—for I couldn't tell the difference in my misery—passed and then he spoke up. "You want to know the real kicker? Those Hollows aren't even going after civilians."

His words stopped my actions, thoughts, and feelings in an instant. I tried to pull away, confused as to what he was getting at, my breath still coming in pants which I tried to unsuccessfully even out. "H-huh? What is tha- What's that supposed to mean?"

He strengthened his hold around my shoulders ignoring my attempt to move and my muffled query. "No, all that Reiatsu, every single Reishi of it... It has your life-force signature plastered all over it."

My breath really did stop and I felt my heart skip a beat. Seconds later my panic died away and I felt a smattering of happiness spread in my chest at what he had just implied.

He finally pushed away from me; a foot or so just in time for him to see the small smile on my face blossom into a genuinely happy one and looked sadly at me. "And you want to know the worse part of all this? The fact that I knew you were going to smile like a damn fool once I told you that you're the one they're after."

I blinked, smile sliding of my face at his depressed tone. "But- I mean, isn't that a good thing? Sure, having Hollows wanting to eat you isn't exactly a good thing but if they ARE only after me then that means they will ignore everyone else, right? Since my "leftover" Reiatsu is so high...right?"

I looked for a confirmation on his face and got one, albeit it looked like it was worn and dejected.

"Yeah, I guess. But Ichigo, you can't see them anymore. Nor can you defend yourself against them."

I soon realized the flip-side to the whole deal. I glanced outside into the dark where no doubt there was at least one of my friends fighting against the masked terror that sought to devour the souls of the living—or in this case, me. _He's right. And since everyone else can see them they aren't just going to stand on the sidelines and watch me get hurt._ "So that's why they run off so much..."

"If you're talking about your friends, then yes. The amount of Hollows in Karakura has very nearly tripled since the Winter War."

I looked back at him in alarm, my eyes wide in terror. "That...many?..."

He grimaced, the only indication of his answer. The dark-haired man tightened his grip on my shoulders. "Every single one of them, with a mouth-watering to take a bite out of ya. The cloud of Reiatsu that hangs in the air of the town makes it seem as if you're the one giving it off, when in reality, it's just phantom Reiatsu that had broken off your main core during your fights and the residual energy left in the O-zone after you released the Final Getsuga Tenshou. Which, I might add, rolls into one big smorgasbord that's labeled—albeit incorrectly—Kurosaki Ichigo."

I shuddered unconsciously, turning away from his gaze that felt as if it was rooting around for something inside of me. I would have felt better if he had been glaring at me in accusation. Not this almost pitying one. "I'm still putting everyone in danger then..."

I heard a sigh and then received a swift thwack on my thigh.

"Ouch! What the hell?!" I lashed out missing his face by just a hair.

He stopped me from trying to hit him in retaliation a second time and groused, "And nearly gave me a heart-attack at the same time! Do you know how worried I was when you didn't show up on time! Especially with an Adjuchas prowling around! You're lucky Yoruichi was out and about doing her shopping or else you would have been Hollow food!"

I gulped at the implication of how close I had escaped death. I lowered my gaze again, thinking about how I had been so naïve as well as completely wrong about Tou-san. He really had been worried. _He...really does care for me. To think this whole time he and everyone else have been protecting me..._

"Ichigo, if you're thinking about how you wish people would stop helping you because they will get hurt, then stop. We aren't just doing it for no reason you know? We want to. And not God or Hell or anything else will make us stop. You always threw away everything at the drop of a hat to protect one of us or in most cases, all of us. So let us do the same for you." A smile grew on his face and he looked at me with something akin to pride.

I couldn't hold back the light dusting of pink that appeared on the bridge of my nose. I snorted, turning away, "Do what ya want. Not like I can stop any of ya from doing what you please. It's a free world after all."

At my words a wide grin sneaked onto my old man's face.

I knew that look and made to defend myself when he instantaneously dived at me, smothering my face in his torso while he nuzzled my hair affectionately. "My poor darling boy! ~ There is no need to worry though! For your loving Father will always protect his effeminate, hopelessly clueless son from all-"

A quick upper-cut silenced him as well as detached his creepy, molesting limbs from my body. "Don't even finish that sentence Oyaji!"

He flew across the room at the force of my hit and landed by my door-way. "Ah! Masaki! Our son's inherited you're fabled, "Masaki Love Strike!" I'm so happy! ~"

I waved my fist at him, furious at his blatant childish behavior during such a serious conversation. Tramping over to his side hoping to get a good kick in before he got up, I yelled, "Urusai! I don't want to hear your stupid declarations this late at night!"

The only reply I got was, "Oh! So that's where it was...must of dropped it on the way in."

My eye twitched and I tried to slam my heel into his stomach.

He rolled away and hooked my leg from under me in an imitation of the move I pulled on him earlier. "Hey!" I smacked the floor, head "thunking" on the wood hard enough for me to see Kon dancing around my head. "Itai! ~"

"Ichigo!"

I looked up, shaking my head only to see Tou-san in the air readying a haymaker to deliver straight to my stomach. Eye's wide with disbelief, I scrambled away. He just bounced back up with the action and pivoted to deal a blow to my neck.

I dodged just in time, stumbling towards my closet.

He saw the opening and went straight for it.

Too bad I picked up my desk chair and threw it at him. While he was still in the air.

They both collided with a bang and I cheered, "Goal!"

We tussled like that for a few minutes, with me ending up on top his back, engaging him in a headlock. I also happened to have his right arm twisted behind his back. "Say Uncle!"

"Never!"

"Say it!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Hey, look! A sharp needle!"

I blinked, feeling something jab into my left leg. Looking down I saw the old man was holding a significantly pointy syringe in his hand. Which was sticking out of my thigh. With its plunger already released.

It took a few seconds to comprehend that I had just been injected with some sort of drug. By my own father no less.

Raising an eyebrow in question, I asked, "Do I even want to know?"

He waggled his eyebrows at me. "Nope! But I will tell ya you'll sleep like a babe for the rest of the night!" His bright tone offset the actual result of his actions.

I felt the medicine—if you could call whatever he put into my bloodstream that—start to affect me quicker than I thought possible because my limbs began to feel heavier than usual. "Bastard!"

He moved slightly and with the numbness setting in, I slid to the floor in an undignified heap. I did my best to growl in his direction while he shook and dusted himself off.

"Oyaji! Whern I wake uup I'm gonna kich your ass!" I heard my words start to slur and felt my eyelids becoming heavy with artificial sleep.

He just smiled endearingly while he grabbed me, hoisting me up over his shoulder. "Nah, you'll be thanking me. Sleep-deprivation can be detrimental to your heath you know! Don't want you to fall down unconscious tomorrow! We got a big day ahead of us!"

He trudged over to the bed and surprising lowered me gently onto the left side of it after pushing back the light blue, cross-covered comforter.

"Tou-san...yoaa haamph-with an eye ohpeann." I could not stop the yawns that slipped out in the middle of my threat. I barely managed to rub my eyes with the flat of my palm, curling slightly into a ball. I had nearly succumbed to the medicine he had given to me by then.

He just snickered and caressed my hair while he pulled the blanket over me. "Sleep tight, don't let the nasty Hollows bite~"

I mumbled out a response while my consciousness drifted away, "Uru-urusai~ Otou-san..." I closed my eyes, yielding to sleep, the warmth of the thick covers and the soothing feeling of hands petting my hair lulling me into the dark.

* * *

In the end I didn't want to split this up between the ice cream and the Father/Son bonding moment—if you could call it that... Call me a sap and claim your reward.

So~ I'm thinking about a poll for couples? Maybe, maybe not, all I know is that I'm up for any _reasonable_ couple within plot bounds. Yuri, Yaoi, Het? Throw them at me ppl, or merely say no to any couples at all. I write too many romance fic...

See any spelling errors? Point 'um out. Just enjoyed the show? Review if you please but I won't hang a noose over the fic if ya don't...

Tarry a while. Thou art so fair. ~ Wild-Tama

P.S. (Slap me silly, but does anyone feel mildly disappointed by the way Kubo handled the whole Zanpakutou are your soul extensions, not your partners?)


	7. Mad Musings In The Moonlight

**So I'm back ~ Miss me? Good, I missed you too. Short and sweet this chapter. Have fun. I would just like to thank all those who reviewed, fav'd or followed. You make me noodle dance with love.  
**

* * *

**Chapter Seven-Mad Musings In The Moonlight**

Eclipsed By Love

The Sword

And Shield

Guards At Midnight

* * *

Kurosaki Isshin watched his teen son slip into a dreamless slumber while the moon appeared out behind the rumbling clouds. _Just a few more weeks' kiddo. Then everything will be right again._ He withdrew his large hand from his son's orange locks and moved a strand that had fallen in his repose.

Leaving the sleeping child to his rest, the man looked to the digital clock that sat on a metal shelf at the end of the bed. It blinked 11:56 then switched to 11:57. _It's pretty-_

"Late, don't you think? Old men like us need our beauty sleep too! ~"

The bearded man twisted to glance at the window knowing already who had invaded the house—or more importantly, his son's windowsill and room. "Kisuke..." A frown made itself known on the dark-haired male's visage and he took in the sight of his long-term friend that oh-so-casually perched like a cat in the window, most definitely influenced by the feline, Shihouin Yoruichi.

The long, dark, forest-colored haori flapped in the mild wind while the Shouten owner, Urahara Kisuke, crouched in all his glory upon it. Or lazily slouched in his wooden geta with a flirtatious grin hidden behind his matching fan. "In the flesh! ~ Now tell me Isshin," His grey eyes flashed with power for a second. "Why is that in the middle of a well-deserved cat-nap that I find myself nearly choking on Reiatsu, mainly your lovely son's? ~"

Said child snored softly between the two grown men. The care-taker of the snoozing teen quickly held up his hands in hopes of fending off a certain blood-thirsty cane in the blonde-haired males' hand. "Hey, well, you see, I was just, you know...uh, sorry?" He scratched his head in sheepish embarrassment.

The ex-Shinigami just snapped his fan closed and holding his white and green bucket-hat as well as his precious Benihime with one hand, hopped off the sill, landing almost silently onto the wooden floor next to him. "Well, that explains a lottt~ Thanks for that awesome recap! Now, why was the cloud of Reiatsu that hangs about the town fluctuating like a cat in the throes of death?"

He pointed his lethal cane at his head, waiting for a response that wasn't nonsense.

The larger man sweat-dropped, choking out, "Umm, I was actually having a talk with my son about a few things..." Seeing how the grin on the man's face was growing into a leer—if it wasn't already one—he stumbled out cautiously, "And I may have let slip about that-uh, cloud...and the Hollows...and that they want to eat him! If you're going to kill me at least place a competent Gikongai in my Gig-"

The sound of wood thwacking against a hard surface resounded throughout the room.  
"Itai~ So mean! He wanted to know!"

An evil smile danced its way onto the former-Twelfth Division man's face while he took a menacing step forward. "Just because he wanted to know didn't mean that you _had_ to tell him~ Besides that, I wanted to be the one to tell him afterwards! It was supposed to be a surprise! ~ What if you had ruined it, hmm?"

Sulking quietly, the other male grumbled out to the pouting, whiny man, "You just wanted to tease him!"

Not denying that accusation or confirming it, the ex-Taichou unfurled his fan again and waving it declared, "Oh, well. What's done is done. But may I ask why Ichigo-kun hasn't woken? That medicine must really have been something~ To put him out so quickly and harmlessly! A real genius must ha-"

A bonk upside the head stopped the self-praise from the mad-scientist and the doctor huffed out, "You better pray there isn't any side-effects!"

The self-proclaimed genius just beamed. "Ara, ara~ Don't worry! I made that drug with absolute care! All of those vicious nightmares your cute son was experiencing should be repressed!"

Abruptly the atmosphere changed when the man snapped his fan shut putting it away gingerly for real this time. He turned towards the bed and tipped his hat downwards. "And...those _"complications"_ we ran into should be as well. A few more weeks and we won't have to worry about "that" any longer. It's almost ready. All that's left are a few more loose ends to tie up. Then he'll be good as new. Ok?"

Isshin walked up to Kisuke and nodded, looking down on the youngest male in the room. "Sounds good to me. He'll be ecstatic when he finds out."

Urahara Kisuke, the all-around mastermind of the universe just smiled, raising the brim of his bucket-hat up to peek over at the father of Kurosaki Ichigo. "Yeah, he'll be over the moon... Say...Isshin…we've been friends for a very long time..."

The man he was addressing blinked, glancing to him and back while stuffing his hands in his pockets at the same time. "Yeah? So?"

Mischievous steel-grey eyes, those of the crackpot inventor, regarded the other before he whistled out a merry-tune. "Welll~ I was just wondering~"

Rolling his eyes, Isshin sighed wearily, "What do you want Urahara?"

The supposedly grown man stuck his tongue out in his direction, exclaiming quickly, "Ah, boo! So cold! And here I was just going to ask if you perhaps wanted me to start modifying the Gigai? You never know, what with your families uncanny knack to attract trouble, wouldn't it be better in the long run? Karin-chan is already-"

A hand stopped the somewhat ethically devoid crank in mid-speech. "If you think it's necessary Kisuke, then do it."

Pausing for a second, and leering jovially, said man hopped over the bed easily, kneeling on the window's frame. He swiveled his head, tipping his hat Isshin's way. "...Fine! I will get straight to it! It won't take me more than a week at the most! ~ Ja ne!"

"Kisuke!"

The exclamation stopped the Shouten owner from jumping into the night. Once more he turned. "Yes?"

The sight of a grateful smile and warm brown eyes met twinkling steel and his friend of many years spoke softly, "Thanks. For everything."

A raised eyebrow and the dip of the ash-blonde-headed man's head was his response. "You're welcome. And Isshin...if you need anything, anything at all don't hesitate to call. We will always be ready and willing to help."

Understanding past between the two men and with one last nod and the flap of his haori, Urahara leapt into the night.

* * *

Next update will be in a week see ya then!

Review if you please but I will not kill myself with FIRE if you do not.

Tarry a while. Thou art so fair. ~ Wild-Tama


	8. The Forgotten Truth

**So quick and simple people want to see Hollow!Ichigo. I want to see Hollow!Ichigo. Compromise anyone? I have everything for the next chapter written...on paper. And everything for the next, next chapter written...on paper. So lets say...two weeks? Typed and edited and then you can have chapter nine and then regular next week update for Hollow!Ichigo, k?**

**Now on to the show!**

* * *

**Chapter Eight-The Forgotten Truth**

Regret

Only Dulls The Sword

And Fear

Only Breaks The Blade

* * *

A ray of light hit my face and I turned away from it, burying my head into my blankets. Curling further under the warm covers I blearily remembered snippets of yesterday's events.

Snatches of conversation drifted by my sleepy consciousness slipping through my grasp when I tried to focus on specific ones. I scrunched my eyes in vexation trying to dredge up something that felt important but I, for some reason, couldn't focus properly on it. The sharp, high-pitch noise in the background was making it a little hard to concentrate as well.

When I finally gave up trying to recall yesterday's events, I heard the loud bang of a door slam open and a certain idiot scream, "ICCCHHHIIIGGGOOO!"

Groaning in ire, I tossed my blankets into the air and with perfect aim nailed my psycho father in the face with my sock-clad foot when he tried to jump me with a whistle sticking out of mouth. A savage scowl on my features, I ground out, "Quit it! I'm trying to sleep damn it!"

Once he detached his face from my foot the silver whistle fell out of his mouth letting out a pathetic "peep" at the same time. "Then get your butt moving! We have places to be, things to do, and you're still in bed! The twins are already up; you are the only one still in bed, sleepy-head!"

I tuned out his yelling and inane posturing, taking the time to rub the sleep from my eyes. I ruffled my hair and yawning, stretched. It was only after I did all this that I redirected my attention back to the Oyaji. "So, where are we going?"

That seemed to stop him in his tracks. He even went silent as the grave looking at me in shock.

I raised an eyebrow, waving my hand in front of his face. "Hello? Earth to Goat-chin, where are we going? And why do I have to come?" I said all of this very slowly like one would to a three-old child.

He shook his head like a wet dog, clapping his hands onto my shoulders with an urgency of a madman. "Are you feeling alright my son?! Do you have a fever?!"

He pulled a thermometer out of nowhere and shoved it into my mouth, nearly gagging me in process.

I yanked it out gasping, "Mugahhh! Phah! Crazy son of-"

"Hush my precious son! I am a certified Doctor! You are in the caring hands of-"

I punched him in the face while massaging my throat to mollify it with the thermometer in the other. "A deranged loon."

He reeled back from my strike and came back around as hearty as ever. He glommed me, slapping his huge hand over my forehead while at the same time securing me in a head-lock. He also snatched the thermometer from my hand and read it as if the world was ending. "You do have a fever! My delirious baby, what have I done?!"

Lip twitching in disgust, I smashed the flat of my palm right into his Adam's apple driving him to lean back as far as he could go while still maintaining his hold around my neck. "I don't feel sick." I glanced at the thermometer and rolled my eyes. "Besides it's not even a high temperature, so stop your idiotic bawling. I'm not in the mood for it this…early… in the...morning."

Checking the time on my digital clock, I happened upon the glowing numbers that signified the date that it also provided. I gulped, silently realizing why my old man was even more hyper-active than usual this morning—and why he had his "special" whistle out. _I can't believe I didn't remember the date... I'm usually the first one up on this day..._

A hand was brandished in front of my face and I snapped out of my thoughts in time to catch the uneasy glint in Dad's eyes before it dissolved, replaced with an over-exuberant shine. "There is no need to worry though! For your loving-gah!"

I poked his eyes with my fingers making him finally let go of me with an almost bored expression on my face. Then blinked, shaking my head. _Déjà vu..._

In my surprise, I didn't see the old man reach back over till it was too late.

"Have no fear! Your Tou-san will carry you!" He scooped me up, slinging me over his shoulders and bounded out of the room.

"WHA-! PUT ME DOWN!"

"NEVER! THIS IS FOR THE GOOD OF MASA-" And straightaway tripped over his own two left feet, propelling us down the flight of stairs.

When I realized this, I surrendered my fate for the rest of the day. If the morning was crappy, it only got worse. _Oh, joy._  
—

It didn't take as long as I would have thought to disentangle our limbs and for me to smack the living stuffing out of my lunatic father. When that was done—and Karin had her turn, mainly because we almost crushed her when we fell—I retreated back into my room, nursing the many bruises I had accumulated to get dressed double-quick.

Since I didn't have a lot of time, I just threw on the nearest thing I could find. Which, in this case, was just a pair of stone-washed, gray, skin-tight jeans and a white, long-sleeve shirt.

Nothing fancy, just what I could grab. Tossing my dirty clothes in the hamper I exited my room and walked down the stairs. It wasn't until I reached the middle of the stairway that I began to have a hard time breathing. Then while I leaned against the stairwell my eyesight flickered and it became hard to keep my balance and I started to sway.

I had to sit down for a few seconds while my light-headedness went down. Swallowing hard, I ignored the bad taste in my mouth while I rubbed my face and shook myself. _Enough, I just was moving too fast and haven't had breakfast yet. I'm just hungry that's all._ I got back up and wiping away the sudden tiredness that was weighing me down, I continued down the stairs.  
—

After breakfast and the ensuing fuss of the Oyaji over my health—which surprised me to say the least—we left the house to start the trek towards Karakura Cemetery to visit Mom's grave.

On the way the damn old man wouldn't shut up about how if I wasn't able to continue walking then he would carry me the rest of the way.

I nearly clobbered him several times for yelling out how I was a sissy and such. Luckily and amusing enough, Karin and Yuzu jumped in to defend me.

Not that I couldn't have, but for some reason my whole body was feeling weighed down, and I had to really force myself to respond to any sort of question—or mostly Dad's jabs at my slight fever. Which was more like what I was use to from him. His strange concern earlier was just weird.

And I couldn't put my finger on it, but I felt as if I was forgetting something really important. Or at least missing it. Like you know that you left something at home but can't remember exactly what it was. Or a thought that was just on the tip of your tongue but can't be spoken because you forgot what it was you were going to say? That perpetual train of thought haunted me for the rest of the morning while we finally arrived at the graveyard.

I had been lagging behind the rest, trying to hide the shortness of breath that plagued me the entire way.

Hanging back for the services, I let Karin and Yuzu take care of them as usual. They liked the routine and I knew it gave them both comfort to venerate the tombstone and light the incense themselves.

Tou-san wasn't participating in anything productive at all; he was just being a moron like he always was, "tweeting" that blasted whistle to such a degree I'm sure that our ears were suffering from internal bleeding by then.

It didn't help any that a head-ache the size of a small mountain was starting to develop behind my eyes.

I watched silently while Yuzu wept and Karin withdrew into herself; her only emotion featured in her silvery eyes that she had acquired from Kaa-san. Their eyes had always been so full of expression.

_Even in death, Kaa-san is still with us at least in the fact that we remember her._ There had never been any doubt about that. Any indication of the fact that we didn't love her just as much—maybe even more then when she was alive—was false.

Time had passed and after some thought I had accepted Dad's explanation on why he didn't hate me. I also had settled the fact that it wasn't my fault that Kaa-san had died.

It was just an accident and I couldn't have changed anything even if I had known that it was a trap. The Grand Fisher would have attacked anyway. There was nothing we could have done to fight him off and we wouldn't have been able to run.

So I stopped beating myself up about it. I tried to move on and hope that a Shinigami somewhere would be able to kill the bastard and release her back into the reincarnation cycle.

Who knew? Maybe one day centuries from this moment I would meet her again. _And say I'm sorry._

The serene atmosphere of the cemetery gave me a peace of mind that I had been striving for those past few months and things didn't look as bleak as I had originally painted them.

_Now, if only the goat-chin would stop prancing around like a moonstruck fool I would actually be pretty damn content._ Sighing in exasperation, I smiled slightly. Yeah, my powers may have been gone and a part of me was sad about it, but at the moment I didn't begrudge that. If anything, I began to move forward again.

_It's what they would have wanted. Zangetsu...and him._ I closed my eyes while a nice breeze swelled past.

"_**Abandon your fear. Look forward, face forward. Advance forward. Don't give an inch and don't stop. Retreat or pull back and you will age. Be afraid or hesitate and you will die!"**_

My eyes opened slowly to see the blue sky, nary a cloud in sight and the warm sun beating down upon all of us. _If I stand still I will stagnate. If I fear I will crumble to dust. If I regret...if I regret, I will be torn to shreds. The only way to live...the only way to fight, is to keep moving forward and win. That is the only way that I can honor them._

Images of clashing swords and underwater combat flitted before my mind and tears welled up in the corner of my eyes like those of despairing blue and mourning gold.

_For them, Kaa-san and my family..._

"Goodbye...my nakama."

In passing, if I had known the events of what was to transpire then that farewell would have never been uttered so quietly.

It would have been screamed to the heavens.

* * *

Hmm, yeah. Dramatic much? Review? I won't dangle myself and the copies of the next two chapters off a cliff though if you don't... I'm scared of cliffs.

Sooo~ See ya in two weeks?

Tarry a while. Thou art so fair. ~ Wild-Tama


	9. Calender Planning For Disaster And

**So I had a family member in the hospital, so a little late on updating but it is what it is. I'll keep it short and brief.**

**Here it is, enjoy~**

* * *

**Chapter Nine-Calendar Planning For Disaster And Other Assorted Messes**

Rain

Clouds The Heart

Where Despair

Treads

* * *

Time passed quickly and after the annual Kurosaki Picnic we enjoyed the outside air for a while till the sun began to set and the approaching rain clouds captured the sky.

We packed up quickly and headed home. The antics that usually told people our name even before they could identify a single one of us were absent.

Yuzu, rubbing her eyes sleepily, Karin yawning and trudging under duress of falling asleep in the road and our Tou-san behaving like a regular adult would have shocked our neighbors if it were any other day.

But today was different and it always will be, even for those who didn't know us—the usual crazy Kurosaki's—would have known the air of slight melancholy that hung about our eyes and postures.

We made it home, solemn and tired by the day's events around eight or so.

The twins, exhausted, went to take their baths and go to bed.

I, waiting my turn to bathe after they went, moved to my room. I left the old man in the kitchen/dining room to do whatever it was he did after we got back.

We each had a different routine we abided by after our visit and we kept to it almost religiously.

This year, though, I decided I would break mine. Instead of sitting in my room, moping around I would actually try to do something productive. So I cleaned my room.

The floor was obviously the first to go. Not that it was really dirty, I kept a relatively neat room so there wasn't much to do, but I was still a teenage boy so there were a few things I had left out and about. It was pretty much just a task for my hands. My mind was sluggish and not up to too much of anything, but I didn't want to go to bed before I took a bath so I went to it.

It hardly took any time at all and I was almost finished within ten minutes. I avoided my desk. The only part left besides that was my closet. Not really wanting to sort through all my junk I focused on the futon and blankets that were stored in there.

The linen had been done just recently because of the cold snap. So taking just a few seconds, I made sure it was all folded nice and neat. Not that Yuzu hadn't already done so; I was just redoing it to pass the time. After requesting my schoolwork ahead of time for my usual absence, I went ahead and completed all of it a few days ago in advance. This left me with little to do.

So besides just sitting around twiddling my thumbs, I dedicated myself to folding the sheets to perfection. Kinda desperate of me, but I treated the task with absolute care. I just wanted to keep myself busy so I wouldn't get too deep in thought and go somewhere that I wasn't sure I wanted to go. After doing so, I placed them back onto my closet shelf. Satisfied, I was about to shut the door when a knock against my bedroom one drew me away from doing so. Tensing, I queried, "Yes?"

I had a good reason to be cautious. There had been times Tou-san had hidden in the hall, playing the indoors' style of Ding-Dong-Ditch, in which he would knock on a door and wait for us to answer it. Then promptly attacks us. We, of course, just punched him in retaliation but still, it's the thought that counts. I mean, what kinda lunatic ambushes and attacks his kids? Well, his son. He didn't really do it to Karin and most certainly not Yuzu.

"Yuzu and I are out of the bath so you can have it when you want." Muffled by the door, Karin's voice rang out, informing me of the bath's vacancy.

I nodded my head relaxing back from my battle stance and recollecting that she couldn't see through walls, responded, "Ok, thanks for telling me!" Once I passed my message, I heard footsteps walk away. Turning back to my original job, I made to close the closet door so I could get ready to bathe. While doing so though, I noticed a book sticking out of the back of the closet where I usually shoved the miscellaneous objects that I rarely used.

Cocking my head, I reached to pull it out. It wasn't anything unique looking, but it felt oddly familiar. _A sketchbook? I don't remember having one like this..._ The black, shiny plastic cover was not decorative in anyway but I knew as soon as I opened it who it belonged to. There was no need for a printed name. The drawings in marker were enough of a signature as any fancy scribble. _This is..._

"Rukia's..." I flipped the page seeing all of her little bunny drawings depicting rules and action scenes. There was even the renditions of my Shinigami duties inside, the ones I had once found so annoying only bringing a rueful smile to my lips at the moment.

Don't get me wrong, they still looked like crap. Like a second-grader had taken their colors and proceeded to smash them against the nearest flat surface—their sketchbook—and then had the gall to call it a work of art.

No, just no.

That didn't mean that I couldn't look at them fondly like a mortified parent wondering if the red on the page was from a water coloring kit or if their child was engaging in mass murder. Not that I _liked_ Rukia's artistic skill—which was non-existent—or anything!

Taking a step back, I started cycling through the rest of them. When I reached the back, I was especially touched by the last one. It was group drawing. Spread across two full pages, everyone had been drawn as bunnies in Rukia's childish, Chappy-obsessed way.

Divided up into their respective divisions from left to right stood the entire Gotei 13. Yama-jii, the Soutaichou, stood with his Fukutaichou, Sasakibe-something. Next to them was Soi-Fon with her fat Fukutaichou—whose name eludes me—with Yoruichi standing by the crazy, Onmitsukidou leader.

I hardly knew him but poor Kira was all alone in the Third Division spot, looking depressed as ever. Unohana-Taichou and her braid were next, looking scarily calm as usual; Isane—her Fukutaichou—with her tall stature towering over almost everyone else in the drawing with Hanatarou and his scalpel cowering behind them both. Just the typical, everyday Fourth Division in my book.

Same with the blonde-haired Fukutaichou of the Third, Hinamori was the only one featured in Fifth. Her stance mirroring the other down to a T. I had heard about how as Aizan's Fukutaichou she wasn't all there in the head nowadays. The bastard did a number on the poor girl, that's for sure.

Renji stood out with his red pineapple-hair, while Byakuya had his Kenseiken done up with his bunny ears with that snooty, Holier-than-thou attitude for Sixth.

And one can't forget the Seventh Division either. Not with Komamura's strange appearance. But I wasn't familiar with his second, Iba. I only knew his name thanks to Ikkaku, when he went running after him shouting about sake and a death match.

Oh, and neither can you forget the so-called Shinigami Men's Association. Especially when they barge into your room wearing nothing but sunglasses, their hakama, a brown haramaki and their kosode over their shoulders, flashing the entire world their chests.

I grit my teeth, left eye twitching when I remembered all the times that my house been invaded by the undead. _My room isn't a meeting hall dammit!_

After I finished my little rage moment, I moved on to the right page that held the rest of the divisions on it.

The blinding pink haori of the old—and according to everyone else, eternally drunk and perverted Taichou of the Eighth Division—Kyouraku Shunsui stood out in the crowd with his stern Fukutaichou—or so I've heard—Ise Nanao, who held a heavy book in hand. I had seen the sexual harasser brained with said object before. Her brutal attacks made Rukia's hits look tame.

Just replaying the loud "thwack" of the tome hitting the bearded man's skull made me wince.

But moving on; as with the other divisions that had suffered the infamy of having a traitor for a Taichou, the Ninth division held only a scarred Fukutaichou in its ranks as it's temporary leader. Unlike Kira or Hinamori though, Hisagi Shuuhei stood tall and proud, his tattoo's and rough look making him seem like a force to be reckoned with. Of course, that only worked on those who had never seen the Fukutaichou smashed at two in the morning, stumbling around. And attempting to grope the Fukutaichou of the Tenth.

Speaking of the Tenth... Toushirou or "It's Hitsugaya-Taichou to you!" Stood next to him, his icicle spikes giving him only a few more centimeters or so to his short figure. Holding the infuriated ice Taichou in a crushing death grip, Matsumoto Rangiku stood in all her, ur-inappropriate glory while she suffocated her Taichou with her, um-assets.

Having been subjected to the strawberry-blonde's wow-uh-antics before, I could sympathize at least a little with Toushirou's constant teasing by his irresponsible second. In fact, I shudder at the thought of being heckled by that woman constantly, 24/7 without an end. No wonder the kid had such a short fuse.

And of course, the Gotei 13 can't be the Gotei 13 without the bat-shit, insane Eleventh Division. Next to the Tenth stood Kenpachi Zaraki, his strange jelled-up hair in spikes and his child Fukutaichou Yachiru—referred by many as "That Pink Devil"—sitting upon his shoulder were drawn as well. Ikkaku with his baldhead and Yamichika wearing his peacock feathers, were there as well standing to his left and right respectively.

Twelfth Division should have just been left out but that would have been mean to the shy and quiet Fukutaichou, Nemu. Her father though, could burn in Hell for all I could care. I had heard from Ishida the part that Kurotsuchi Mayuri had played in the genocide of the Quincy's. And his involvement in the death of his grandfather.

Yes, that man could just suffer for all eternity. He was a monster through and through.

Just to be funny—and probably because Rukia had put Yoruichi in the drawing too—the Geta-boushi was placed behind the two members of the Twelfth Division holding up one of his fans and wearing his signature white and green-striped bucket-hat. That creepy smile of his was plastered on his face and only a shiny glint was drawn for his eyes.

_In other words, still the same old Urahara... It's not hard at all to think he was originally the Taichou of the Twelfth Division, they are all crazy there._

I felt a vein bulge just a little by my eye.

The endless, and seemingly harmless, experiments that the Shouten owner concocted daily were eccentric yes, but in the long run always had disastrous consequences. Hello? Does the Hougyoku ring a bell? That wasn't even the worst part. I mean, watermelon Hollow's?! What kind of nutjob makes that sort of stuff? Who even thinks about _genetically _engineering _soul-eating_ monsters?

Oh, wait~ The Twelfth-freakin'-Division of course! If the incident with the Vizard's weren't enough evidence of the crazy floating around that place then my own Inner Hollow—courtesy of one annoying blonde-haired man—was proof of that!

But, on with the show as they say.

Last but certainly not least, for the Taichou of the Thirteenth Division was a kind-hearted soul—quite literally—Ukitake-Taichou and his long white-hair stood at the end of the long, long line of Shinigami with Rukia's personally drawn bunny in the right hand corner of the page.

Behind the man stood his co-third seats, Kiyone and Sentaro. Who, I've had the displeasure to meet. They are even worse than Rukia and Renji when they get in to a tousle.

I'm just glad that most of the seated members of the Gotei 13 were in general—and I don't mean it in a bad way, well, yeah I do—useless. On very rare exceptions—like say during a life and death battle, and sometimes not even then—they could get scary serious. But like I said, it doesn't happen that often.

The very last person on the page was me. My bright, florescent-orange hair not looking one bit out of place with the sea of abundant Crayola box of colors that were slapped onto the page.

From crazy purple to pale yellow, crimson red, and blinding white, with bubblegum pink, deep cobalt blue to finally neon orange we kinda represented the rainbow. _If only Mashiro had been present to represent vibrant green..._

I chuckled, a smile coming to my face while I gazed fondly at my comrades. I wouldn't want to remember them any other way.

Even if they were a kind of oddballs either bent on making everyone else go crazy and trying to out-do the others or even slaughtering their own comrades in bloody, senseless battles and wars.

Yeah...no. I could do without being threatened with death every time I went over there—coughKenpachicough.

Together, we were all crammed onto these pages in all of their Chappy, marker-ed glory.

I sat on my bed just looking at it, remembering how things use to be and the good memories we had had together. When I wasn't being framed for murder or being listed as a Ryoka_. I could have done without them all trying to kill me that time we went to save Rukia from being executed, and that time everyone forgot her and thought I was an intruder—again. Plus the whole, Toushirou's-a-traitor and Kenpachi's constant challenges-to-the-death. Unohana-Taichou with her scary, smiling death glare when I got injured, and Yama-jii's, "Behave and show proper respect boy or I'll Ryuujin Jakka you into a nice, crispy stake."_

_Byakuya's repeated Senbonzakura releases were a pain in the ass too...'_ I sweat dropped on the last one; he really detested me for some reason. Even after I saved his little sister.

Flopping onto my back, I continued to memorize the picture, thinking about everything I had been through with them. We had been through hard times, wars, revolts and what naught. Some of our scars would never heal and never fade. _But..._ "I guess it doesn't matter that much anymore. It will probably be years till I see them all again..."

Once I had uttered that sentence there was no turning back. It took me a few seconds to actually realize what I had said and the implication of it.

I hadn't once thought about what would happen to me after I died before this moment. _How could I possibly forget?_ Nasty thoughts began to circle around in my head. My Chain of Fate had been severed. I had been killed. And I had no idea why it was I was still alive. For all intents and purposes, I shouldn't have been able to return to my human body after the Final Getsuga Tenshou.

The Geta-boushi never thought to explain the whole, "Well, I-just-technically-killed-you-and-brought-you-back -to-life" deal. Not even Rukia thoroughly explained _that_ one.

_Ah, but wait! After Byakuya destroyed my Saketsu and Hakusui, sealing my Shinigami powers that Rukia lent me... How then, when Urahara pushed me out of my body with that cane of his, my Chain of Fate was still intact? Should it not have been broken because I technically had to be little bit, oh, I don't know? Dead? Isn't that like a prerequisite in order to be a Shinigami? So, does that mean that it is there again? Since I'm no longer a Shinigami this time around too?_ I furrowed my eyebrows, thinking deeply about the whole strange mess.

_So, would I become a normal plus spirit and wait till a Shinigami came to Konsou me then? Would I have to run from Hollows and worry about my Chain of Fate crumpling like last time?_ I shuddered at the thought of having to go through such pain again, having to go through _Encroachment_ again. The first time had been literally the death of me.

Subconsciously, I rubbed the spot where the Hollow hole had appeared when my chain ate itself, tearing into me till there was nothing left but a maddening loneliness and a despairing hunger.

I gulped, my thoughts moving faster for every second that I lay there. _Or would I become a Shinigami again right on the spot? If I was in danger would not my Reiryoku rise like last time?_

I shook my head strangling that idea with that gesture. I had had dormant Shinigami powers then, just waiting to be released. This time I didn't. They had been destroyed along with Zangetsu...and him.

I narrowed my eyes. Something was kinda fishy. If that was all what really happened then had I not cheated death four times over? Was that even possible? How could I possibly have survived and still been able to return to my human body?

Sighing, I placed the sketch down onto my bed, flipping the cover to hide the memories that were best forgotten. They were making my head go exactly where I hadn't wanted to earlier when I first started cleaning. They would only cause me to regret and how many times have I told myself that I wasn't going to?

But still, the idea that on my death that I might be reincarnated when I went through Konsou made me sick to my stomach. Those that did forgot their past lives. And all of their ties to the World of the Living and those to any people they had met would be severed and tossed away like so much scrap metal, never to be remembered again.

_I don't want to forget. I don't want to forget them. Good or bad, I wish to cherish these memories. Even if they hurt. No matter what sort of denial I go through... I don't want to erase all of their smiling faces from my world. I don't want to wipe away the struggles we've been through. They define us, make our bonds stronger. Who would I be if all of that was thrown away?_

I sat up and glancing once more at the book decided to go take a bath. If I continued to think about this, I would do something I wasn't sure I should do.

Picking up the sketchbook, I got up from the bed. I trudged over to my desk and went to place it in the same drawer as my badge. I rather have all my remembrance stuffed in one drawer then laying out and about to get the jump on me when I least expected it.

Goodness knows I had already flip-flopped on my decisions more than enough for an entire years' worth of thinking. If I had to go through with that for every single day I was alive, I wasn't sure I would live for next week, let alone till I was eighty, grey and wrinkled on my deathbed.

Or for however long it takes for me to get stuck in the middle of some insane plot, like being held hostage in a bank with robbers pointing guns at everyone. _Or getting run over by a truck or jumping in front of a knife or...yeah. I probably won't live the average life span of a normal person…_

Scratching the back of my head, I groaned. Looking over to the clock that sat at the end of my bed, I saw it glow, 10:23 and thought, _Once more I've gotten sidetracked and all because I found this stupid sketchbook._

I frowned. _I'll get rid of it...eventually... Maybe._ Hand and heart heavy, I opened the drawer to toss it in and never look at it again.

And that's when the Oyaji bust through my bedroom door shouting, "MY WONDERFULLY RESPONSIBLE SON, WHOM I LOVE WITH THE PASSION OF A THOUSAND BURNING SUNS!"

A vein on my forehead almost burst by the sheer nuisance that had invaded my room. Dropping the book onto the desk, I stalked over to the posing form of the old man and kicked him in the shin like a five-year old. "Whatever you are on, please feel free to overdose on it."

He hopped up and down, holding his leg while he forced out, "Gah! My violent son-! I have to go somewhere-! Ouch!"

I tripped him and leaning over his sprawled form growled, "Yeah? So? Why did you have to come busting into my room," I waved my arm around then placed it on my hip. "Just to tell me that?!"

He gave me a crooked smile and a thumbs-up from his position on the floor, "I'm leaving you in charge, my cute son."

My face twitched and I grabbed his collar, dragging him out of my room and down the hallway.

Protesting to being hauled about by his clothes, he didn't notice when I stopped at the stairs landing. He did notice when I let him go.

Placing my foot on his ribs, I smiled wickedly. "Wellllll~ If you really have to go..." I faked a sad expression.

Eyes widening, he began to sweat profusely. Hands up in surrender and struggling to get up without tossing himself off the edge he advised warily, "Now, Ichigo, I'm sure we can work past your anger management issues-"

I smiled sweetly, eyes scrunched together. "Opps! Weren't you supposed to be leaving Tou-san? I'm so sorry to have kept you! Have a nice trip! ~" And I rolled him over the edge of the top step.

"ICHIGOOOOOOOOOO!"

The several loud bangs and muffled curses when Tou-san toppled down the stairs were satisfying. Very satisfying indeed.

If only I hadn't woken Karin.

"Ichi-nii..."

I felt significant Doom directed at me and slowly turned around.

The twins' door was open by a slit and an evil glint shone from the crack.

It felt like I was looking into the Maw of Death. Then a pillow brained me in the head, sending me tumbling after my idiot father.

"Shut up! Yuzu and I are trying to sleep!"

Her shout of raw fury was accompanied by the slam of their door and my groan of pain when I stopped hitting the steps. With my face. _Dammit, we just had to teach her how to play soccer. She probably massacres little children in the park for fun…_ Landing on top of the Goat-chin didn't make my day any better.

"I really-ouch need to have you see a therapist. I'm sure they could do-owow wonders for that sexual frust- Gah!"

I kneed him in the groin and rolled off him. "What did I tell you about keeping your gross thoughts to yourself old man? Don't make me bring out a kitchen knife."

He was good as new in the time it took for him to chuckle and sit up on his knees. "Aww, my adorable needy son, don't worry I won't be gone long! But if you need to cry into my shoul-"

Too tired and bruised —really, one of this days I was just going to pretend to go crazy so I could be put in a padded cell to get away from sharp objects—to do much of anything else I raised my foot to meet the Oyaji in the face when he tried to hug me, arms outstretched to crush me in one of his "loving, fatherly, not-at-all-gay embraces." "Please, just go die. It's too late for this shit." I moved my arms over my face trying to block out the light over-head.

"You said that last night too..."

I raised my head off the floor to give my old man a questioning look. "What do you mean by that?"

He only replied with a surprised face and a nervous chuckle, "Uh, nothing." He got up off the floor and lent me a hand as well.

Suspicious of the Oyaji I slapped it away glaring at him in the meanwhile. "You are acting stranger than usual, you senile Goat-face." Standing up, I dusted myself off and turning back to the stairs away from mumbled grumpily, "Whatever," I flapped a hand at him from over my shoulder, "I'm going to bed."

The old man was strangely silent till I set a foot on the stairs; then he answered back gruffly, "Fine. I'll be back later in the morning."

I grunted in the affirmative, "Yeah, ok. Just go already."

"And Ichigo,"

I turned my head and looked over my shoulder, a sleepy scowl painting my face.

He grinned and gave me a thumbs-up, "Good night!"

* * *

I wanted a little father/son bonding. I somehow can't get enough of those two going at it.

Anyway next time I update I'll write some poll numbers for pairings. Which will be in a week...if your lucky. I'm moving and stuff. I'll try to rewrite everything quickly but because of the hospital incident I didn't get a lot done. Sorry, but that is how the cookie crumbles.

So review if you please but I won't choke myself on a hamburger if you don't.

Tarry a while. Thou art so fair. ~ Wild-Tama


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